Aberlour A’Bunadh stays a traditional, although it appears to have misplaced a few of its followers because of the lighter color and lighter sherry affect. Launched in 1998 and as soon as a benchmark sherry bomb, it now appears extra like a sherry-finished whisky. Simply an impression by the way in which, it’s positively matured full-time in Oloroso sherry butts.
I believe the final editions I attempted have been A’Bunadh Batch 54 and A’Bunadh Batch 55.
Aberlour A’Bunadh – Batch #71 (61,5%, OB 2021, Oloroso sherry butts)
Nostril: fashionable sherry, with some vanilla to begin off and a whiff of American bourbon (candy cinnamon and coconut). Then sultanas and an excellent dose of oranges and marmalade. Even a vivid fruity notice of nectarine. Some honey and candied ginger. Some polished oak / resin and nougat too. Hey, good.
Mouth: my preliminary enthusiasm now fades somewhat. Fairly woody, with a candy mint theme, liquorice and dried herbs. Some candied fruits within the background, vaguely. Extra marmalade, wee bitter notes from the wooden as nicely. Ginger and pepper. Later it strikes in the direction of cinnamon and darkish chocolate.
End: lengthy and fairly dry, with spicy oak and extra of the darkish chocolate.
A lot much less ‘sherry bomb’ character than within the previous days. Fairly a metamorphosis, actually completely different from the 50s of 60s batches. That stated there have at all times been higher and worse batches and that is actually not under all of the previous batches. Nonetheless accessible from The Whisky Change for example.
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