Aberlour A'bunadh / Batch 47

Aberlour A’Bunadh is a powerhouse sherry monster and has been among my favourites since I first started learning about and tasting whisky in January 2011. Since 2013 I’ve been opening a batch to match my age.

When I first started drinking whisky my friends and I would go through a bottle in less than a year, but as my horizons have widened and my friends have spread out across Canada, my consumption of A’Bunadh has narrowed, and when I finally had occasion to open batch 47 (9 months after my birthday), I still had a significant amount of the 46 from (now almost) 2 years ago. The only solution was to review them head to head.

I opened this bottle on January 2, 2017, at a tasting which included some big fans of the genre, and it has been gassed after each opening. It was 2/3 full when I poured it tonight. I reviewed it in my usual manner, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes, followed by the addition of a few drops of water, waiting, then nosing and tasting. After the review I mixed the remaining volumes together (~50:50) to produce batch 46.5.

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Nose:

Neat – Fresh. Sweet, dark fruits. Some sherry, but muted. You can tell it’s A’Bunadh but it’s somehow subdued. 21.5/25

With water – Clearly a sherry monster. A little stronger nose than neat, but the profile remains the same. 22/25

Taste:

Neat – Wow! Rich! First sip is sweet sherry and low pitch flavours of dark fruits. Some chocolate. You barely notice the alcohol. 22/25

With water – Added to the taste of it neat is some menthol and some higher pitched notes, and the chocolate is less pronounced. More complex. (23/25)

Finish: A little astringent and the nip of the spirit tingles my soft palate. Not very prominent. 21/25 A little longer with water. (21.5/25)

Balance: The nose and the palate complement each other. 22/25 A little better with water and time. (22.5/25)

Score: Neat - 86.5/100 With Water: 89 /100

Adjusted score based on enjoyment and experience: 90/100

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Mixing both batches together:

The nose is a little different than either of them individually. A little sharper than the 47 but deeper and more rich, and less spirity than the 46. The menthol comes through a little stronger on the palate, as does the chocolate, and if I were blinded to the label I would might confuse this for a Benromach 100/10. Definitely delicious, not better or worse, and I would score this 89-90.

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I have to say that my last few experiences with this batch have been even more positive than this one. In direct comparison to the 46, I find this less harsh and a little richer and more complex. Definitely it is one of the better batches I’ve had.

I don’t have a batch 48 to open this year, but I’m sure this will last me until I turn 49 (and if not, I have a 27, 28, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 42, 44 and another 47 to keep me going…).