Whisky Review/Tasting: Aberlour A'bunadh

Physical Whisky Characteristics

Origin: Aberlour Distillery, Scotland.
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
Distillation and Maturation Process: The whisky is matured in first-fill sherry casks, contributing to its dark color and rich flavor profile. It is a cask strength whisky, meaning it is bottled directly from the cask without dilution.
Age Statement: No specific age statement is provided, but the high alcohol by volume (ABV) suggests it might be relatively young, possibly less than 10 years, as whisky loses ABV over time in the cask.
Color and Clarity: The whisky is described as dark, indicating a significant influence from the sherry casks. It is non-colored, presenting its natural hue derived from maturation.
Bottle Design: The bottle has a distinctive bulgy shape with a wax seal on top. The design underwent a change in 2010, featuring round tubes and a new label style.

Balance of Flavors: The whisky offers a complex balance between fresh, fruity notes and deeper, sweeter tones, with a notable sherry influence.
Unique Characteristics: High ABV contributes to its robust flavor profile. Upon dilution, it reveals fresh apples, pears, citrus notes, and possibly a hint of smokiness, which might be more of an illusion due to the high alcohol content.
Comparison: When diluted, it can resemble Aberlour's 10-year-old expression but is far less aromatic than the 12-year-old non-chill filtered version.

Anecdotes: The host, Horst Luening, shares a personal story of bringing a bottle of still water from Scotland for an authentic dilution experience, emphasizing the importance of dilution in appreciating the whisky's full aroma.

Historical Context: Aberlour A'bunadh, meaning "the original" in Gaelic, aims to replicate the style of whisky produced in former times, with each batch being slightly different. The concept of cask strength has evolved, with regulations changing in 2009 to allow for the mixing of casks without adding water and still labeling the product as cask strength.

Horst Luening's Opinion: He emphasizes the importance of diluting high ABV whisky to fully appreciate its flavors, challenging the notion that whisky should only be consumed at full strength for the complete experience.

Aberlour A'bunadh is a cask strength, single malt Scotch whisky matured in first-fill sherry casks.
It has a rich, complex flavor profile with fresh fruity notes and a deep sherry influence.
The whisky's design and concept pay homage to traditional Scotch whisky production methods.
Dilution is recommended to appreciate the full range of flavors, with personal anecdotes highlighting the importance of this process.
The whisky's cultural significance is tied to its aim of replicating historical whisky production styles.

Connoisseurs and Experienced Whisky Drinkers: Will appreciate the complexity and high ABV, enjoying the process of diluting to taste.
New Whisky Enthusiasts: May find this whisky a fascinating introduction to cask strength expressions, offering a hands-on experience with dilution.
Fans of Sherry-Cask Matured Whisky: Will enjoy the rich, sherry-influenced flavor profile and the dark color indicative of first-fill sherry cask maturation.