Aberlour A'bunadh

I thank @mscottydunc for the reviewed sample

Nose: acrid sharp sherry with almost exclusively medium and high pitches; this one starts on the dry and austere side but acquires a good sweet balance with a few minutes in the glass. This is a good A'bunadh nose, and even has a touch of candied cherry to it. It needs some air time for best effect, though. Water brings out high-pitched sweetness together with some lower toned fruit flavours. Score: 22.5/25

Taste: far more thick and lush in the mouth than in the nose--I love it! Great sweet and dry balance; mouth-puckeringly tart despite great lush sweet fruitiness. Wonderful wine fruitiness with good clean sherry casks. Water added accentuates a sharp-edged tartness. I much prefer this without water. Score: 24/25

Finish: long; continues intense sharp sourness accompanying excellent balancing sweetness. With water added the finish drifts more toward the sour. Not as good with water. Score: 23.5/25

Balance: good in the nose; excellent thereafter. Score: 24/25

Total Sequential Score: 94 points

Strength: strong flavours in the nose; very strong flavours in the mouth. Score: 24/25

Quality: very good to excellent flavours throughout. Score: 23.5/25

Variety: plenty of shades of flavour within the sherry wine residue. Score: 22.5/25

Harmony; very good to excellent harmony throughout the tasting phases. Score: 23.5/25

Total Non-Sequential Score: 93.5 points

Comment: this is just the way I like my sherried malts-- thick, lush, clean, intense, and undiluted. This Aberlour A'bunadh Batch # 54 reminds me a lot of Amrut Intermediate Sherry, Batch # 5 in its cleanliness, its lushness, and its intensity. That is extremely high praise. A'bunadh Batch # 54 is a top tier batch and I highly recommend it