Aberlour A'bunadh

This review gives a precise review (w. tasting notes) of the batch 44, and also my view on the a'bunadh phenom.

It's hard to believe that this NAS cask strength experimental bottling from the correct but somewhat uneventfull distillery of Aberlour would become the modern by-word for sherry-bomb in the whisky world. It was in late 1996 that the first bottling appeared, and now its a only a few years away from 20 years old, and it is safe to say that it has achieved way more than the distillers expected: Sherry Royalty and Modern Classic.

I have allways been more of a glenfarclas 105 man myself but this is its rival who has tested it, roughened&softened it, and made it better in my eyes, through the adversity offered by this now legendary bottling. I have now tried 3 expressions of a'bunadh and while one is in my personal top 10, i think all of them are excellent. But now i will review the batch 44.

Nose: Burnt raisins and sultanas to the fore with some cocoa and roasted coffee beans. Sweet and "rhummy" nose, chocolate and with a clean oloroso quality that has become this whisky's trademark.

Palate: Wonderfull body when the appropriate amnount of water is added, although this isn't an overly sensitive sherry-monster. It is subtle yet without being fragile, perfect body. It can take the water although, as wioth all sherry whiskies, be moderate with water (one drop at a time). Figues and dates greet alongside burnt raisins and sultanas that come back from the nosing here in the flavour. Wonderfull body that glides on top of the tastebuds like a mix of Tuscan fine olive oil and light golden syrup mmm! Then cocoa and Coffee followed by.. Uuuumph More Coffee!! Begins with creamy table coffee to balanced arabica note then finally to an (explosive almost) bitter double-espresso heat rush. In other words a coffee-train-wreck thats just enough as to not wreck the subtlety. Great!

Fantastic stuff again! Although the coffee bitterness was nearly overpowering in the end, and the finish isn't quite as well composed as some of the best iterations, but you can't have everything rigth? One of the jewels in the crown of scotch sherry-bomb Royalty!