Releases of this pedigree from Aberlour distillery are hard to come by and increasingly sought after. Our single cask, cask strength release is a wonderfully balanced whisky that has been described as “pretty perfect, with a fantastic tightness at the ripe old age of 30” by Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun.com.
A truly Speyside whisky, this release embodies all of the luxurious, sweet rich fruitiness which has made it the number one whisky in France. A slow distillation process, in a classic design of pot still, results in a calm, sweet and warming character.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: A meandering elegance and surprising degree of weight, too, with the most charming and gentle smokiness drifting around in very old-fashioned Speyside style. A classic exhibition of oak and barley interplay: perfect balance and respect for the other. There is even a surprise fruit note of sharp passion fruit: where the hell did that come from..? Could nose this all day, if I had the time.
Taste: Right: so, does this complexity on the nose transfer across to the palate...? Oh, my word it certainly does! The delivery is seemingly choreographed, the malt of varied intensities - sometimes a little sharp (that passion fruit, again?), sometimes almost gristy sweet; sometimes ethereal, sometimes weightier as that minor phenol makes the most subtle of impacts - dancing across the palate without an off-note in the world.
Finish: Light butterscotch, lighter barley but still tan peek-a-boo smoke adding the telling late weight and gently fizzing spices for good measure. Oh, and some very late heather-honey, too, which is pretty unusual at this very late stage.
Balance: This malt really has pure star quality. Elegant doesn't do it justice. If you find this in a shop, snap their bloody hands off: this is Scotch malt whisky at its very best!
Region: SPEYSIDE
The region of Speyside is regarded as the Napa Valley of Scottish whisky, with the highest concentration of whisky distilleries in Scotland. Among those distilleries, clustered around the River Spey which runs through the heart of this region, are among the most regarded whisky makers in the world. Speyside first started showing signs of its dominance in the 19th century, the result of its ready access to expansive barley fields, strong train network, and an excellent water source: tributaries to the Spey River. The Speyside region shows huge diversity in its produce, covering the spectrum from light, heather-rich ‘breakfast’ whiskies to the rich and fruity ‘sherry bombs’ characteristic of some of the region’s most exalted names.
Distillery: ABERLOUR
The Aberlour distillery story is one beset with challenges, through which the distillery has not just endured, but thrived. Though distilling on the site dates back as far as 1825, the Aberlour distillery was founded in 1879 by the son of a local tenant farmer James Fleming. After 10 years developing his craft at nearby Dailuaine distillery, Fleming opened his own distillery at the confluence of the rivers Lour and Spey near Ben Rinnes, Moray. A tragic fire not long after Fleming’s death destroyed most of the buildings and a large portion of the whisky in stock on the premises. The distillery survived the crisis and rebuilt from the ashes with the latest equipment and a modern outlook. In 1973, the distillery expanded its production to four pot stills, though its production levels remain relatively small.
