Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask

In general I don't know what I think of Aberlour. The 10yo was far too sweet for my liking. A'bunadh is much better but generally I don't go for lighter sweeter style malt. Having said that, I do like variety and experiencing the full range of whiskies available.

The nose on this very strong with apples and toffee, (toffee apples!). Pears very evident too. Touch of cinnamon too perhaps? Fruit dominates with the toffee in the background. Very sweet.

This kind of reverses on the palate - the toffee takes centre stage with the fruit hiding behind it. Very soft and smooth. Does anyone remember Toffo sweets? Toffees with different fruit flavours, (not seen them for years). Well this whisky reminds me exactly of them - particularly the apple flavoured ones.

The finish is long, smooth, sweet with a fruit cocktail lurking in there.

If you like sweet and soft whiskies then this will be spot on. It's a bit too sweet for me personally but that's just my palate. Otherwise this is great stuff - several notches above the 10yo.

Since I could not find any Aberlours for tasting in a bar, I used all of your reviews to guide me into just taking a chance, which paid off dearly, so thanks to all of you! This was my first Aberlour purchased and it won't be my last.

If you blindfolded a blend drinker and gave them this one and then asked to guess what kind of spirit it is, they would probably guess Caribbean rum. Maybe that is why I fell in love with all of the Aberlours, because they all remind me of my heyday of traveling throughout the Caribbean from 1988 to 1996. Specifically, if you can find Botran Solera 18 Anos de Guatemala on the shelf, just buy it, because this is the closest that I can describe the taste of the Three Aberlours. Sweet and rich, but not disgustingly so. Smoke is not there at all, so one would never guess that this is a single malt scotch. Double casking does the trick. Each sip just makes you want more.

Then sad but true, the other two Aberlours are rated better for this drinker.

I got this bottle as a gift from a colleague that came in late the day after a personnel party at which she let her hair down a bit too heavily. It was her way of apologizing and I gladly accepted. In all seriousness, this is double cask matured, what means that the whisky matured for 16 years on bourbon- and sherry casks. The label says traditional oak and sherry oak. After maturation they were brought together in the marrying tun before being bottled at drinking strength.

Sexy nose! Loads of maple syrup, buttercups, milkchocolate with nuts, honey, mint. Very creamy indeed. Sultanas, toffee, banana flambéed. Wonderful!

On the palate too, it is very creamy, almost syrupy. Dried fruit and nuts, flambéed banana again, Grand Marnier, dried figs and dades, honey, caramelized apple. Hints of citrus. And suddenly the spices emerge: cinnamon, ginger, pepper, saffron, vanilla. Very accessible and sweet.

The medium long finish offers sweet malt and candied oranges.

A typical dessert dram! Thank you, Annelies!

I acquired this beauty after I got my bonus from work. I shared this with some long time friends who enjoyed this as much as I did. I was in the going to acquire an Islay but my choice wasn't in stock. Oh well it worked out pretty well as evident by my notes. As evident from my list of reviews Im glad Im back to a nice single malt to review.

Color: Amber-red

Nose: Rich and beautiful with a little aeration just a few mins and I found sweet red fruits in the way of berries and raisins, slightly drying floral notes, spicy oakiness and sticky sweet caramel. There are many layers to this sherried speysider. This is something one could smell for quite awhile.

Body: Full, rich, and smooth. Quite tongue coating...

Taste: Smooth, creamy nuttiness, floral notes are evident, spicy in the way of nutmeg and cinnamon. Sweet red plums and a slight bitter oak exist to round of the initial taste. Complexity is nice. The most complex whisky I've acquired.

Finish: Warming sweet, spicy, and fruity end that involves plums, raisins, and a little oak.

Overall: This is my first sherried or dual casked bottling. But this is quite the nice bottle Im glad I picked this one up even though Im pretty sure Im a sucker for an Islay bottling :). This isn't something Id recommend to someone who's new to the world of whisky as it is more complex than an entry level malt but I do advise that when one is comfortable with their experiences this is a great experience to behold. I can't wait to see how this one develops with time.

It was a long and fractious courtship, but that feisty lass Aberlour A’bunadh and I eventually found love. Our skirmishes were Shakespearian in magnitude; she was Kate to my Petruchio, only this time the shrew tamed me. Think you a little din can daunt mine ears? Or tastebuds, as the case may be?

But love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs, and I am but a rogue and peasant slave. Yea, distracted was I by my love’s fair sibling of a fortnight and two, for from fairest creatures we desire increase.

Enough of that before the Bard dizzies himself from spinning in his grave. Suffice to say that I came to enjoy the A’bunadh so much, I wanted to try another Aberlour expression. I don’t think I’ll find romance with the 16 yo, but it’s shaping up to be a reliable friendship. This will be my fifth dram from a bottle opened about six weeks.

Nose: Earthy, oily, nutty, with traces of bitter chocolate, sherry, and malt. Floral scents come and go. It’s a rather static nose, in that it doesn’t seem to develop much as it sits, but it’s pleasant and fairly robust.

Palate: Smooth and a bit bland on arrival and in development. Vanilla and mild non-citrus fruits at first, then the sherry and bourbon oak announce themselves. It really comes alive in the finish, perhaps too much so. Like a honey graham cracker sprinkled with cinnamon, pepper, and covered with a thin layer of mint frosting. An odd, but not unpleasant combination, even as it overwhelms all that came before. The final impression, which comes a full minute after swallowing, is a rough, bitter chalkiness that doesn’t work at all. After a couple of sips, I learned to avoid this by taking a quick sip of water after the good parts of the finish had run their course.

One of the more curious aspects of Aberlour 16, therefore, is that each phase of the experience didn’t prepare me for what came next. I’d suggest just enjoying the peaks and valleys and twists and turns of this whisky as they come. It might not be the most exciting of roller-coaster rides, but it’s got some thrills along the way.

After being spoiled by the A'Bunadh last week, I tried the 16. And although a very solid dram, it kind of feels like going from galloping on a horse to a nice trot. Still very fun, still highly enjoyable, but you miss the excitement.

Nose: Good. Very good. Cherry, sherry, vanilla, spice, with some cinnamon. I like this!

Palate: It has a nice weight to it that I appreciate. More cinnamon, now with some woody smoke, dried fruits and some more vanilla. Definitely good, but I can't help myself from saying "yes, this is awesome, BUT... it's not the A'bunadh."

Finish: Lovely. Cherry, vanilla, accompanied again by smoke and oak. That sherry leaves a nice impression.

This is a very solid dram. I don't want to take anything away from it. I just love the fire and the big personality of the A'bunadh. Still, I would drink this again and again, no question about it.

The Aberlour distillery is one of the most gorgeous sites in all of Speyside, with grey stone walls, bright red doors and trim, and a babbling brook running alongside it. I didn't get a chance to tour the distillery when I visited, but had the pleasure of dining there - Whisky Chef Martine Nouet did an incredible menu of dishes both cooked and paired with various Aberlour expressions. It was an incredible evening. I hope to tour the distillery on my next visit to Speyside (whenever that will be)...

This 16 Year Old is double cask matured, in ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry casks. The colour is a deep reddish gold. On the nose, we have dark fruits, oak, damp earth, soft spices, a hint of citrus - a bit like a whisky-soaked fruitcake. Quite floral as well, more so with water. This takes me back to the dunnage warehouses in Speyside - they all have that damp, soft fruity aroma where the casks are sleeping.

On the palate, lots of cherries, a little nutty, and more vanilla than on the nose. The vanilla becomes more prevalent with a drop of water. Very soft and fruity, but with a fair amount of spice as well. Extremely luxurious.

On the finish there is a late delivery of nutmeg and pepper throughout a long developing finish. This is an absolutely gorgeous dram, one of the best Speyside malts I have had. It is an excellent example of a very well-sherried whisky - I suspect it must have spent more time in sherry casks than in bourbon casks, as the vanilla only occasionally peeks out from beyond the dark fruits. Quite decadent and wonderful.

Like its younger sibling, the Aberlour 16 has a spritely way about it. Vegetation, honey, and floral scents on the nose remind me of springtime. The body is quite full--It clings to the sides of the glass for a very long time. The palate is very similar to the nose. The finish is long, with a faint kick of bitterness just at the end which rounds the whole sip out very nicely.

It is not quite as mellow as one might expect of a 16 year maturation, but that adds to its sprightliness. It is a rich and very enjoyable drink, but--and I hope I'm not being controversial--I'm not sure I feel that it's a huge improvement over the 12.

Colour is very deep reddish gold. Nose is very influenced by the age, with a tremendous amount of wood aromas. Turning to raisin and butter tart. Mild sherry oxidized flavours, a little simple, mild and smooth (aka, not our style).

I got this bottle for Christmas from my wife and it has since established itself as my favourite Speyside malt, and one of my favourite Scotches overall.

Nose: rich, sweet, deep, and full. Certainly sherry but also licorice, wood polish, menthol, cherry syrup; proof that whisky doesn't have to be smoky to be complex. Water brings out vanilla and caramel. I can keep my nose in this one a long time.

Taste: bold and sweet with a strong alcohol kick for its age. Tons of malt. The sweet fruit is balanced by a sharper, more bitter herbal note which develops over time. Becomes oaky at the back of the mouth, with the vaguest suggestion of peat. With water, it is smoother and almost chocolatey on the palate entry.

Finish: beautifully consistent with the flavour development. Leaves pleasant wood and grape flavours that linger for a good length.

Balance: this whisky has everything I look for in a good malt. It won't satisfy peat-heads but it is not meant to; I believe peat would only smother some of the fine complexity here (in fact I've tried blending with a bit of Islay malt and it doesn't work). A powerhouse Speyside, and an example of how double-matured whisky should be done.

My In-Laws had a bottle of this in the back of their closet. With their blessing I was able to taste it.

Nose: Soft and rounded with apples and cinnamon

Taste: Sweet and smooth. A nice sweet syrup fills the palate. The taste of apples comes out with a trailing cinnamon after taste.

Finish: Warm and powerful. Short finish.

I look forward to my next visit with the In-Laws to have another go with this one.

Strong toffee notes. Pairs well with desserts, especially dark chocolate. Hints of dried fruit and spice, especially apples, grapes, and pears. The initial nose has that distinctive Aberlour dankness to it, but with some water and a few minutes, the toffee jumps out and hovers high above the glass. Deeper in the glass you'll find pepper, oak, and sherry. The palate hits you with butter, toffee, chocolate, dried fruit, and nuts. The finish is shorter than its complex nose would imply, but is very clean, with hints of apple, oak, and sherry. All in all, a great Speyside value.

The Aberlour 16yr is a 43% ABV whisky double cask matured in both ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry butts, which gives it the signature "depth of character ... distinctive fruitiness and spiciness" of the distillery. The sherry gives the whisky a deep "rich golden amber" color according to the distillery, giving it a beautiful color in the glass.

Nose: Rich sherry, honey, and fruitcake. Cinnamon spice (and everything nice!) and cloves coming out. The nose is very similar to the 12yr and 18yr, in that they are all heavily sherried. The difference would be that the 16yr has a very spicy profile in addition to the sherry notes. Being a lover of sherry-finished whiskies, I could sit here and nose this sweet dram all night! Mmmmmm....

Body: Medium, rich.

Palate: Spice hits the palate with sweet fruitcake. Honey spice overflows, delivering just a hint of roasted oak in the back. There is just the faintest trace of "wax" that coats the tongue. This is barely noticeable, but I did pick it up. The flavor of this whisky is not as good as the 18yr in the mouth, but the finish is spectacular!

Finish: Incredible! Booming spice with billowing sherry. A bit of roasted macadamia nut, but just a hint. There is just a bit of dryness coming out at the end, getting your attention and reminding you that you are drinking whisky.

Obviously this isn't as smooth as the 18yr, but not everyone wants a whisky that is so smooth you don't even feel it slip over the tongue and down the pipe! The 16yr brings just enough dry-spice to make you sit up and take notice, but smooth enough to make you appreciate the fine craftsmanship of the whisky. This really is a fine dram. I plan to keep it stocked in my cabinet from now on, as it represents a fantastic value at $54.

The aroma was full of fruit and sherry with hints of nice oak. The aroma was good for me over and over again before taking the first taste. asting was an acknowledgement of the flavours from the aroma while long lasting on the back of the tongue.

The Nose: Mmmmm…all sweet and hardly any peat. Bourbon-y brown sugar and Maraschino cherries. There’s a chewy caramel roll/sticky bun quality as well. Lots of sherry tones come out as well, ripe raisin as well as smooth oak. Lush, fairly voluptuous, and comforting.

The Palate: After that rich, inviting nose, the entry was a little empty, which was surprising and a little disappointing. It was sweet and smooth but in a way, kind of like simple syrup, I was expecting more complexity and depth. Things become more interesting with candied orange notes, oaked sherry and a pleasant spiciness, with a little cinnamon towards the end.

The Finish: Sweet, dusty and spicy in just the right balance. The finish isn’t all that long, but it feels just about right. 16 years worth of oak notes linger on a bit.

Thoughts: There’s a lot to like here, but for me, that kind of empty, almost weak entry keeps it from being a really stellar dram. It has a wonderful nose and great balance between the sweet, sherry flavors and the wood, it just seems to fall apart a bit when it first hits the lips.