Aultmore 21 Years

”The Aultmore Down the Road” 

Whisky Review # 907

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Aultmore

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Batch 00107
Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Refill Sherry Hogsheads
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Price Range: US$ 200-240 (March 2021).
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Too expensive for what it offers.
Buying Advice: 😐 The Nose is nice but Palate and Finish do not quite convince.

Colour:

Golden (Natural Color)

Nose:

Sweet, Pleasant, Uncomplicated Nose. You certainly wouldn't give it 21 Years. Easy-going casks. Quite Fruity & Buttery. Be sure to give it some time in the glass before Nosing.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Caffe Latte, Fresh Herbs, Lemon Ice Tea, Fresh Green Apples, Oak, Pizza Dough and Ginger.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Caramel, Wax, Bounty Bars, Peach-Flavoured Yogurt, Meadow Flowers, Pear drops, Nuts, Forest Floor, Bourbon, Ginger and Wet Stones.

Palate:

A bit more Hot and Aggressive than the Nose would like you to believe. Oak and Spices come to the front in strength. A mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes with a light Metallic feel to it.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Fresh Herbs, Green Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Oak, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol and Licorice.   
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Marzipan, Wax, Nectarine, Banana, Seville-Orange, Bounty Bars, Cloves, Bourbon, Slivovitz and Pizza Dough.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter Sweet & slightly Hot. Oak and Spices are more noticeable at this stage. A few Sour notes as well. The Bitterness increases towards the end and that's a pity. It takes a little while before your palate is ready to take another sip. I find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Caramel, Honey-Nut Cereals, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Green Apple, Lemon, Bitter Grapefruit, Caffe Latte, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Menthol, Licorice, Bourbon, Oak and a little Marzipan.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water. The ABV is spot on.

Rating: 85

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat:

Good but not really shining.

Conclusion:

The Aultmore Distillery was founded in 1896 by Alexander Edward. He had to sell it in 1923 to John Dewar & Sons. Dewar currently belongs to the Bacardi Group who bought it from Diageo in 1998. Most of Aultmore's Spirit goes into the Dewar's White Label, the #1 selling Scotch in the USA. Beats Me! In 2014 the core range was reviewed and nowadays include the 12, 18 and 21 Years, the latter originally only for Travel Retail. We almost managed to visit the distillery during our last tour in Scotland in 2019 but in the end it didn't work out. We did get to sample a few Aultmores during a fine dinner in the village of Oldmeldrum, home to the Glen Garion Distillery.

I had a few mature Independently Bottled Aultmores before and quite liked them. I was therefore eager to try this 21-year old that's part of today's core range. It did not quite convince me though. It started well with the unpretending but pleasant Nose but Palate and Finish left to be desired. A bit too much Heat and Bitterness for my taste. I must blame the casks for that. This Aultmore is not a bad Single Malt mind you but with a little extra care it could have been so much better and would have justified its price. As it is I would certainly recommend to try a sample first before deciding to buy a full bottle.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                         March 24, 2021