Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 64 Review

In-Depth Review

Aberlour is a distillery located in the Speyside region of Scotland between Ivnerness and Aberdeen. It’s located along the River Spey and has been making whisky since 1879. And while this little distillery is often overlooked compared to its neighbor The Macallan, it makes beautiful whiskies that are both delicious and approachable. Their core expressions include a 12, a 16, an 18, and two other non-age stated expressions that focus on blending and maturation process than age statements. One of those NAS is the famous A’bunadh which is exclusively matured in sherry casks and bottled at cask strength with non-chill filtration and no color added.

Aberlour A’bunadh is one of the few regularly available cask strength sherry matured Scotches on the market today. It is released in batches a few times a year (we are now up to batch 68) and while it doesn’t garner the fanfare of some other limited releases, this has the specs to be an incredible whisky. So let’s dive in and see if it can compete with its big neighbor up the road.  

Age: NAS

ABV: 59.9%

Cask: Exclusively ex-sherry Casks

MSRP: $80

Distillery Name: Aberlour

Version: Batch 64

Review Date: 12/21/20

Color: Dark Mahogany with a red hue

Nose: Big notes of sherry raisins, dried fruits, plums, and figs. There is an inviting sweetness that reminds me of a fruitcake or sticky pudding. It comes off as thick and delectable.  Below the sweetness is a mouth-watering meaty, hearty note. Even at such a high proof, there is no detectable burn on the nose.

Palate: While the nearly 60% ABV was almost undetectable on the nose, it’s a completely different story on the palate. The first sip features a sherry flavor explosion and lots of alcohol burn. Flavors of ripe cooked stone fruits with caramelized sugar and sticky toffee. The Sherry casks shine in this whisky and bring a strong nutty, fruity flavor to the mix. Candied fruits with a dash of leather and tobacco leaf. The alcohol burn manifests itself as cinnamon sticks and clove. Aberlour A’bunadh is a dessert whisky without being decadent like Glendronach. The mouthfeel is good, but not as thick and oily as many other sherried expressions. The high ABV makes this spirit feel light and bright and does well with a few drops of water added.  

Adding a little water opens it up for more flavors, including raspberries and marzipan. It also brings out a bit more of the oak influence, but still features the fruity nutty character, just a smidge softer.

Finish: Long and sweet finish. The intensity of the palate gives way to a long finish featuring oak, soft warming spice, and a little peanut brittle and almond sweetness.

Final Thoughts: If you love sherried whiskies you’ll love this expression. My only complaint is that the sherry dominates the distillate so much that it can - at times - feel a bit one note. And while that note is very good, I would love to see an age stated version of this with a little more going on. But as a readily available $80 cask strength sherry bomb whisky – these complaints are minimal.

 This is a fantastic whisky that shouldn’t be taken for granted. It’s delicious and readily available and I would absolutely recommend a fan of The Macallan give this a whirl. They may find that Aberlour A’bunadh may even give a similar experience for less than half the price…  

Score: 93

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