Aberlour 15 Double Cask Matured Review

No Match For The A’ Bunadh

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Brand: Aberlour Double Cask Matured

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 15 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Tasting Date: 18/02/2014
Sample provided by my colleague Ricardo. Many Thanks!

Colour: Amber

Nose: Sweet and quite Soft, almost Thin. The Sherry is accompanied by Grassy, Flowery, Earthy, Nutty and Herbal tones. I also find Wood, Malt, Toffee, light Vanilla, Orange Peel, Heather/Honey, Dried Fruits (Raisins and Sultanas), light Spices and hints of Cooked Red Fruit (Cherries), Espresso and Milk Chocolate. A little bit of Alcohol in the background. I do find sufficient Flavours and they are certainly not unpleasant but I miss Power and Punch. The standard ABV of 40% does not do justice to this spirit.

Taste: Slightly Thin Delivery. Quite disappointing after the Nose. A Single Malt of 15 Years deserves to be bottled at around 46%. I find Nuts, Lemon Peel, Grapefruit, Mint, light Licorice, Oak, light Sherry, light Pepper and some Earthy and Herbal tones.

Finish: On the Short Side with some Butterscotch, Oak, light Sherry, Malt, light Spices (Pepper), Nuts, light Licorice and Mint.

With a bit of Water, Malt, Orange and Honey become stronger on the Nose. But Palate and Finish do not accept Water very well.

Rating: 81

Nose: 21 – Taste: 20 – Finish: 19.5 – Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: The Aberlour Distillery was founded in 1826 and had to be reconstructed in 1879 after a huge fire. Today it is owned by Chivas Brothers Ltd, part of Pernod-Ricard from France. The 15 Years Double Cask Matured I'm  tasting today matured for 14 years in a mixture of Ex-Bourbon Hogsheads and Ex-Sherry Butts before being blended and transferred to selected Ex-Oloroso Sherry Casks for the last 12 months. It sells at around 70 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: I'm not impressed by this Aberlour. The nose is okay although it lacks Power. Palate and Finish are thin and unconvincing. For sure, this Single Malt suffers from the low ABV. It's a pity really. If you like the Aberlour Flavour Profile you should go for the A'Bunadh expressions. That's quite a different cup of Whisky!

Jan van den Ende                                                          February 2014