Three Aberlour


January 30, 2023

Three Aberlour

Aberlour is one of the names we're trying to taste a few times a year, as in my book it's one of the seminal distillates, one of the very few that you could sip as quasi-newmake, like the best rums. Stunning fruitiness but it's true that we tend to rather know of the sherried versions, while the latter would diminish, if not erase a large part of the Distillery character.
(French magazine ad, circa 1995. 'Wallace Milroy and his pears decided to vote for Aberlour even before they had swallowed one single drop'. I didn't know black tie was mandatory to be a judge at the IWSC, even in 1995)

Aberlour 18 yo (43%, OB, 50cl, +/-2022)

The last time we tried the 18 it was a batch from 2013. So indeed, how time flies (hate that sentence). It's a great expression anyway that would crush many neighbours of similar age. Colour: rich gold. Nose: starts with some caramel and some toffee, jumps to Nutella (I know), swims towards maple syrup and molasses honey, reaches sultanas and dried figs (magnificent here), goes on with a little orange squash, or even Fanta (not that nice I'm afraid), and ends the journey amongst roasted and honeyed peanuts and pecans. Plus Ovaltine/Ovomaltine. An ultra-classic, very reassuring nose. Mouth: very good for sure, nuttier than the neighbours, a tad grittier as well (walnut skins), then totally geared towards honey, rhum agricole, toffee, marmalade and maple syrup. Finish: medium to short, more on dried fruits and milk chocolate. More honey-glazed roasted peanuts (we call them chouchous) and Cointreau. Comments: great drop. At the risk of being repetitive, I'd reiterate that 46% vol. would work rather better than 43%...Is that PC enough? Now watch it, shrinkflation is hitting hard, this is only 50cl.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

In my opinion, shrinkflation has been hitting malt whisky for years now. NAS, which consists in selling younger whisky for the same price or even for a higher price, is shrinkflation, just as switching from 70cl to 50cl is shrinklfation. Let's try one of those NAS...

Aberlour 'A'bunadh Alba' (62.7%, OB, +/-2022)

Nothing to do with the famous Swedish pop band Abba (S., come on), the name Alba refers to quercus alba, a.k.a. American oak, so this is probably ex-bourbon wood, but let's remember that the very vast majority of sherry casks, at least the genuine ones that they're using in soleras, are made out of American oak and have been for ages. Colour: straw. Nose: I remember that when we first visited the Distillery with the Malt Maniacs, around the year 2002, bourbon casks were extremely rare and any opportunity to try any wouldn't have been missed. And wasn't missed. This is hyper-clean, oily, all on white and yellow fruits. Preserved peaches and custard are ruling the whole shebang. With water: no changes. Pleasantly elementary and even binary. Mouth (neat): a creamy, almost syrupy mirabelle and white pepper combination. The oak feels a little too much for me at this point (oversteeped tea and coconut) but water may help… With water: very simple, very excellent. Mirabelles, touch of mint, touch of quince, vanilla, tarte tatin. Finish: I'm afraid we'll need to mention limoncello once more. Comments: possibly a little too obvious, and I rather hate it that I like it a lot. Nah, it's an excellent (if a little syrupy) little NAS, really.
SGP:641 - 86 points.

Oh great, we've also got an old indie, and a barrel at that…

Aberlour 30 yo 1990/2020 (44.8%, Whisky-Fässle, barrel)

Long time not tried these vintages, I'm not even sure they were really out of this world. Colour: gold. Nose: a barrel! indeed there are still a few marshmallows, also some metal polish, beeswax, barley syrup, a drop of absinth, soft liquorice, fir bud liqueur (half a drop), white asparagus, sunflower and sesame oils, dragon fruit, fresh bark, white clover… It's all becoming fractal and very subtle, I'm sure we'd find hundreds of smaller aromas, should we give it more time. Mouth: exactly. The oak decomposed into waxes and pollens, woods (pine), small resins, various nuts (walnuts, almonds, brazil), bitters, amaretti, honeydew… Well, I believe this was bottled right on time, the piney notes might have taken over the next day. Right, within the next decade. Finish: wonderfully waxy, nutty, mentholy, piney, and 'fragile'. Some extraordinary citrus in the aftertaste, this is almost an Aberlour Sour (ooh that's smart, S.!) Comments: totally love this fantastically unmodern and deliciously delicate Aberlour by the Ducks. It's going to be 90, almost 91… Oh hell, that'll be…
SGP:451 - 91 points.

Check the index of all Aberlour we've tasted so far