Some young Aberfeldy and Pitilie


May 14, 2024

Some young Aberfeldy and Pitilie

Aberfeldy

Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery (Dewar's)

Let's not forget that the true name is now 'Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery'. I quite like this place; it's always amusing to discreetly listen to the comments of tourists and realise that we enthusiasts sometimes seem a bit lofty. "A bottle of whisky over £100, are they maaaaad?!"

Aberfeldy 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2023)

Frankly, these 40% vol. do make it feel a bit cheap, although the bottle itself is quite lovely. We also very much appreciate that no finishing has been imposed on it. I hope we are not mistaken. Colour: light gold. Nose: an array of cereals and honey, then sultanas and a hint of orange juice. Simple, effective, pretty, light. Perhaps not enough to write a novel about... Mouth: really very light, a bit sweet, with a pleasant arrival but a sudden drop. Slightly herbaceous and rather thin, actually. Previous batches seemed a bit more, let's say, robust. Finish: short, more spicy, with more cakes, cookies… But it becomes dry and overly focused on tea and cardboard after that. A pity. Comments: let's not exaggerate, it's really a nice malt, but I think independents would have done something with a bit more presence. We shall see…
SGP:441 - 80 points.

Aberfeldy 10 yo 2013/2024 (48.2%, Signatory Vintage, Small Batch #10, 1st fill oloroso sherry butts)

From this notable new series from Signatory... Colour: gold. Nose: well, here we are. Superb leather, tobacco, and green walnuts, then all kinds of raisins and a lovely touch of armagnac from a skilled producer. Armagnac is always crafted by skilled producers, anyway. Very fine sherry. Mouth: powerful, with a bit of wood (spruce, cedar) and plenty of prunes and nutmeg. Then blood oranges, peppers, cardamom, and even a hint of curry. Finish: long, more on bitter chocolate and clove. Water isn't really necessary, but one feels inclined to try it: not much change, except for a bit more tobacco and allspice, then some cocoa powder. Comments: there's a hint of 'modern' work with active or reactivated casks, but it's a success.
SGP:461 - 85 points.

Aberfeldy 10 yo 2013/2023 (48.5%, Decadent Drinks, Equinox & Solstice, 2nd fill barrel)

Closer to you, my distillate... Colour: white wine. Nose: obviously, this is my preferred style, close to the juice, the barley, the undulating fields, the gentle climate, the kindness of the people, the softness of the Midlands… A Parisian patisserie at 6 AM, with fresh croissants, pain aux raisins, crispbreads, and macarons of the day. And madeleines, of course. Magnificent nose, pure and precise. But why am I only tasting it now? Mouth: very close to the official bottling, yet it remains taut throughout, with green tea, meadow honey, apple cake, and cinnamon biscuits... The palate might not quite reach the level of the very fine nose, but it's still very good. Finish: fairly long, close to barley and ripe apple. Comments: Aberfeldy is perhaps not a 'wow!' malt, but it's a very lovely distillate, and here's the proof. There are also some fine Dewar's around at the moment, but we scarcely have the space to sample large-batch blends. Whiskyfun is cursed…
SGP:551 - 85 points.

And now, let's have a gentle laugh... We used to, think that the number of distilleries in Scotland was exploding, but in fact, they're just multiplying the names of each one. Just kidding.

Pitilie 9 yo 2015/2024 (54.8%, Dràm Mor, 1st fill Buffalo Trace barrel finish, cask #247, 240 bottles)

The label tells us that this was distilled at 'Aberfeldie Distillery'. It's worth noting that there once was a 'Pitillie Distillery' in the vicinity, near Pitilie Farm on the Pittilie Burn (thanks to scotchwhisky.com, one of the finest websites ever!). Oh, the intrigue of names and double consonants… Colour: white wine. Nose: it's almost the same whisky as the Equinox, which is good news. We remain very close to fresh barley, apple, ripe plums, and brioche dough… With water: pear and a hint of banana liqueur. A familiar molecule, isn't it? Mouth (neat): vanilla, caramel, and plenty of butterscotch, with a peppery layer. With water: little change, except more honey and apples. Lovely freshness, a touch of chalk. Finish: long. Apple, cinnamon, barley, brioche. A hint of lemon in the aftertaste. Comments: same territory as the 2013 'Decadent'. I'm not dead sure these are malts that we'll remember all our lives, but what's sure is that they are really very good.
SGP:551 – 85 points.

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