Aultmore 18 Year

This stop on the tasting tour is a Speyside distillery that tends to be overlooked. They don't appear to focus much on marketing or distribution, as I haven't heard much about them. This 18 year old is bottled at 46% ABV and is not chill filtered. It has a natural golden hue. It's priced at $150 in Michigan, but a family member found it for $100 on a military base in Maryland, so I had them get it for me. $100 for an 18 year old seems like a good value in my view. The aroma is very subtle. Honey, cereal malt, and barley sugar are the main scents. Light fruits, apricots, peaches, melon, and plums. Hints of toffee and butterscotch, and maybe a touch of mint. Some distant sherry notes, but they seem faint and bitter. Strawberry hard candies. There's a musty/damp sensation. An unusual rye-like warmth appears at times; it's earthy despite this scotch being unpeated. Unfortunately, a strange metallic scent comes and goes. It's quite a disappointing aroma for an 18 year old. The taste is fruity with a spicy kick. Stronger than the aroma suggests, but still not very potent. Melon, apricots, and old oak. Light bourbon notes, mild vanilla, and toffee. The spice becomes prominent after a few sips, indicating European oak. This is also where some bitter tannins emerge, suggesting that the European oak comes from old refill casks. Some bitter nuts, similar to raw walnuts, are present. I usually enjoy walnuts, but not in this context. Honey, malt, and a hint of dark chocolate complete the profile. A light to medium body with a subtle oiliness that becomes very dry. The finish is medium in length. Dry, wood spice, and a significant amount of those bitter tannins. This finish strongly reminds me of the finish on another spirit, which I excused because it was much cheaper. A major letdown for the age and cost. The aroma is far too faint, and without the spice on the palate, the entire experience would have been incredibly dull. The finish is overly bitter and makes me not want to continue drinking it. In other words, I have half a bottle I'm willing to exchange. I would have rated this a 3.25, but the price brings it down to 3. Cheers

Tonight, I delved into some scotch: anCnoc Flaughter, Glenkinchie 12, and this 18-year-old Aultmore. A friend provided this one for our scotch whisky tag team session. Aultmore, once under the same ownership as Benrinnes distillery, is now part of Dewars & Sons. The name Aultmore, pronounced 'an-tAllt-mor', is Gaelic for 'strong burn,' which suits this spirit. It's harsh, aggressive, and very much like bourbon. Coming in at a strong 46% ABV, it presents a bright gold color in the Glencairn. Initial nosing revealed primarily cereals, honey, and lightly charred oak. The palate mirrored many American bourbons: vanilla, apples, and honey, with a subtle biscuit note preceding the finish. The finish is where this whisky falters; it's extremely bitter and harsh. It's astonishing how this spirit didn't mature more gracefully over its 18 years. While cask quality might be a factor, learning about Aultmore's history and its role as Dewars' experimental distillery suggests this might be intentional. As it stands, recommending this as a single malt is difficult. It might be better suited for blends, though I can't imagine what positive attributes it would contribute, let alone its taste at cask strength. My thanks to my friend for the sample and for covering the significant cost (over $100). Let's move on... 2.5 stars. Cheers, gentlemen.

This is another whisky I seldom encounter or read about, which sparked my interest and led me to add it to my sample collection. Nose: Quite pleasant. Delicious, smooth, and fruity, with nice sweet spices, a touch of that familiar highland honey, abundant fresh vanilla, bubblegum, and a good measure of oak wood. The fruits then become more prominent with some creamy strawberries and a bit of raisins. It's a familiar aroma (positively reminiscent of Balblair) and very enjoyable. Palate: Soft and sweet initially, then a bit more woody with citrusy juices. Finish: Cotton candy, ripe grapes, and needless to say - very sweet - fruity sweet like ice cream. However, it also has a good amount of wood and mild baking spices. Overall, I genuinely like it. While not exceptionally unique, it still offers a nice little experience and is interesting nonetheless. The peculiar thing is, despite its sweetness being the most dominant characteristic, it doesn't feel overly sweet. It's well-balanced in that respect. It's strange this one doesn't get more attention. I've had many other whiskies that are all over the place and popular, which are certainly not better than this one.

Another Sunday evening unfolds. I find myself seated near the tidied (fake) Christmas tree and a warm wood stove. Holiday tunes play softly. This all follows enjoying a film. A great day; now it's time for a drink. Following a substantial preamble, the aroma offers vanilla with orange cream and ripe apples. Oat-like cereal notes with a hint of honey and an out-of-place, fresh ginger, complete the scent. The taste begins with sugary sweetness on a medium body. Ginger reappears, along with cinnamon and pie crust as the primary flavors, touched by a subtle woodiness leading to the finish. The finish has a bit of white pepper spice and a hint of wasabi with a ginger sharpness that gradually fades. Although this is an 18 year old, it really seems more like a 12 year old. It's a fine drink, but given its age and cost, I would anticipate more sophistication or depth than what's provided. The sweetness makes it enjoyable and suitable as a post-meal treat. My thanks go to a friend for sending this sample. [85/100][Tasted: 12/17/18]

Age 18? Remarkable find, my friend, and thank you for the opportunity to relax with this dram. The nose is rich with vanilla, honeysuckle, barley, and sweet white grapes. The palate presents a warm, inviting layer of buttercream frosting, oily texture, and a heavy coating. Vanilla is very prominent when sipped neat, and the finish is slightly hot with dry alcohol. I added a few drops of water to see what else could be discovered. Grapes and light fruit become more noticeable on the nose. It now possesses an almost white wine character. The water improved the finish for me. The pleasant mouth coating remains, with a buttery finish, but it's far from a complex spirit. I'd rate it around 3.25. This reminds me of "Bread and Butter" by The Newbeats. Please don't laugh! =)

I was somewhat undecided about this one. I truly wanted to enjoy it. After all, it's 18 years old and possesses an alluring fancy label. Thanks to a friend, as part of our small distillery trading group, I had the opportunity to try this. The aroma is quite nice initially. Sweet honey, cereals, and summer fruits. The palate also starts off very well... more summer stone fruits and butterscotch. However, the mid-palate deteriorates. It turns bitter. Extremely bitter. What just happened? I feel like Forest Whitaker in The Crying Game, you know that scene. Just when I thought I was about to have a sweet, sweet Speysider, it turned on me. I'd give it a solid 3 to 3.5 based on the nose and initial palate entry alone.