Aberfeldy 20 Year Small Batch Exceptional Cask Series

Rating: 19/23 - Introduction - After sampling Aberfeldy 12 and appreciating its aroma, I found the palate somewhat lacking. My hope is that this expression will offer more complexity and a greater sense of maturity. Nose: Significantly richer and fuller than Aberfeldy 12's aroma, though less intricate. I detect a bitter vanilla alongside something akin to a wood finish, not creosote or mineral spirits. This largely masks some waxy lemon peel. There's a subtle presence of actual wood, dry and not very prominent. Surprisingly little malt and grain are noticeable. Oddly, there's a faint meatiness from the base spirit that I would expect to have dissipated with age. My estimation is that the hearts constitute a smaller portion of the distillate compared to the 12-year-old, which is certainly the appropriate approach here. As it rests, I begin to perceive hints of tangerine, with even less frequent and fainter whiffs of something like banana and manuka honey. Palate: Whew. The aroma raised some concerns, but this palate is a significant improvement! It's surprisingly a little thin, which isn't ideal for me, but it's not a major issue. There's a pleasant fullness and completeness, with no hint of the meatiness or alcohol. I actually get a considerable amount of manuka honey. It's combined with a strong wood presence, and the light malt mixed with birch syrup (definitely birch syrup this time) I detected in the 12-year-old. There are also some nice spices, primarily ginger, with a touch of clove and a hint of cinnamon. Some vegetal grain notes emerge from the honey intermittently. There's a decent amount happening, but it's subtle. A bit of vanilla and mellow, mature wood, plus a dash of alcohol mingling with the birch syrup. Finish: A bitter undertone with slight numbness from the clove. The manuka honey takes on a peculiar shift towards the vegetal, with a small number of flavors swirling. It's a somewhat unusual finish, but I rather enjoy it. - Conclusion - This is a definite step up from Aberfeldy 12 (rated 14). While not the most complex dram, the manuka honey is quite decadent, and this expression captures that flavor better than anything else I've encountered, save for Cadenhead's Tullibardine 25 (rated 19). A quick side-by-side comparison reveals more complexity and intriguing, unusual flavors in the Tullibardine, but it lacks balance. The Tullibardine presents a cleaner taste with a more refined character. The two are very close, but I would rank this below the Tullibardine. This isn't a perfect comparison, but as I have limited highland-style scotch in the 16-year range, I'm tasting this alongside Loch Lomond 12 (rated 16). The Loch Lomond's execution is somewhat less polished than this one's, leading me to favor this expression. Glen Grant 18 offers a comparable quality. The Glen Grant is oilier with a heavier grain character. This is sweeter and a bit spicier with superior balance. I believe this one takes the win. Given its position between the Glen Grant and the Tullibardine, I'm deciding between a rating of 18 or 19. Initially, I considered an 18, but I'm now leaning towards a 19, as I feel this is closer in quality to the Tullibardine. A 19 it is, albeit a lower score within that range. Thank you for sharing this delightful dram!

Batch AB2798 Casks 6,7,8,9,10,18 & 120 Aroma - Ripe apples, ripe Asian pear, dark honey, dark raisins, sweet golden raisins, a touch of orange zest, cocoa powder Taste - A bit thin initially, candied ginger spice, rich ripe apples, fruity dark honey, dark golden raisins, sweet fruity spicy oak, slightly waxy mouthfeel, candied orange zest Finish - Lingering ripe honeyed apples, caramel, dark fruity honey, dark golden raisins Score - 95/100 Final Thoughts - This whisky was truly "exceptional." I was quite hesitant at first due to the lower 43% ABV, but it delivered significant flavor for its proof. The aroma was exceptionally well-balanced from start to finish, with a great blend of sweet honey/caramel, fruit, and dark dried raisins. This carried through to the palate; while it seemed a little thin on the first sip, it coats the mouth with a lightly waxy, sweet, fruity spice as it warms, which lingers pleasantly. The finish is quite long and evokes fruit leather made primarily from ripe Honeycrisp apples, with a few ripe red and green grapes mixed in. It's excellent from beginning to end, well-balanced, and consistently gives the impression of containing some aged Scotch in the blend. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - Yes NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Honey, pear, apple, orange blossom, fig, peach, caramel, vanilla cream, cinnamon, grass, cashew, honeysuckle, mild ethanol burn. Taste - Pear, apple, honey, white pepper, lemon zest, light oak, bitter walnut, caramel, vanilla, mint, ginger, grass, sweet floral notes, honeysuckle, grape, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with honey, orchard fruit, and walnut flavors. I purchased this bottle on impulse last year. I hadn't heard of the distillery, but the limited information I found seemed promising. The nose is primarily characterized by honeyed orchard fruits. There's a subtle caramel, creamy vanilla, and a pleasant nuttiness as well. The palate mirrors this closely, offering pleasant fruitiness, more citrus influence than on the nose, and a walnut bitterness or possibly some grape skin tannins, leading to an equally pleasing, lingering finish. Therefore, your friends who dislike whiskey will likely not be as averse to this one. It's gentle, fruity, and unassuming. There's genuinely nothing amiss here, but it simply doesn't align with my preferred style of single malt. I can completely understand why this would garner very high scores. If you appreciate fruity, floral, light whiskies similar to Dalwhinnie, I believe you will adore this. For my palate, it's very good, but I cannot rate it higher.

Batch AB3099 Sauternes Finish - Casks 7,8,9,10 Smell - Sweet, baked apples, dark honey, golden raisins, sweet chestnuts, and light, tannic green grape skins. Taste - Starts with fruity apple stems and a metallic bitterness, followed by golden raisins, light honey, thin apple juice, baked apples, and more metallic bitterness. Finish - A lingering metallic and fruity bitterness with touches of honey and golden raisins. Score - 67/100 Overall - The aroma is quite pleasing, with abundant baked apples, golden raisins, and honey, leading you to expect an incredibly fruity drink. The moment it touches your tongue, however, you're met with a strangely bitter apple stem flavor that seems to have been exposed to the sun in a metal container for days. Hints of baked apples and honey from the smell are present, but they are overshadowed by distracting metallic and fruit-bitter notes. The finish continues with the same bitterness and sadly doesn't improve. Would I drink it if offered? - Perhaps Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Very good, but I favor the 18-year-old French wine cask expression. Nose: Honey, White Chocolate, Pineapples, Sultanas, Apricots, Dandelions, Bananas, Coconuts, Brown Sugar, Apples, Vanilla, Cherry Cola, Root Beer Palate: Honey, White Chocolate, Toffee, Salted Caramel, Red Apples, Almonds, Oranges, Walnuts, Nutmeg, Cloves, Brown Butter, Mangoes, Pineapples, Papayas Finish: Pineapples, Sultanas, Apricots, Walnuts, White Chocolate.

Nose: honey, golden syrup, intense sweetness, marzipan, tropical fruit, pineapple Palate: syrupy, sweet, icing, Christmas cake Finish: soft The sweetness from the Sauterne cask finish is definitely noticeable