Aberlour A'bunadh

Batch 54 of this Aberlour a'bunadh (which means 'from the source’) was released in 2015. It is bottled at a whopping cask strength of 60,7%.

The nose is honeysweet and reminds me more of a GlenDronach than an a’bunadh at first. I get loads of toffee, white chocolate, cranberries and rose water, drenched in orange juice. But there are hardly any of the typical dark sherry hints such as plums, dades or raisins. Nevertheless, this is a very inviting and lovely nose, do not get me wrong. But surprisingly different from what I expect from an a’bunadh.

On the palate it is – obviously – a big boy. The high ABV makes me gasp for breath. Again cranberries and oranges, upholstered with nutmeg, pepper and some cocoa. Good, but not overly complex.

The finish is medium long and offers some peach.

The influence of the sherry cask was clearly a lot less than on earlier batches, but it remains one helluva dram. The price may vary though… from 50 to 70 EUR.