Aber Falls 2021

“Aber Falls Short”

Whisky Review # 1081

Country: Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Region: Abergwyngregyn - North Wales

Brand: Aber Falls - Distilled 2021

Type: Single Malt Welsh Whisky - Bottled: 2024

Age: 3 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Probably Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: Yes

Price Range: US$ 25-35 (January 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑 Borderline okay

Buying Advice: 👎 Too young and under-matured for a Single Malt Whisky

Colour:

Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Young, Sweet & a bit Rough. It's Fruity in a slightly acidic way but not unpleasant for a 3-year old Whisky. I do find a Metallic off-note in the background. It's got no depth of course but that was to be expected.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Grains, Green Apple, Floral Soap, Grass, Nutshells, Toast and Margarine, Milk Chocolate and Cinnamon.

    

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Nectarine, light Citrus, Dusty Oak, Books, Metal, Studentenhaver (Mixed Nuts and Dried Fruit), Cider, Exotic Fruit on Heavy Syrup, Air Freshener & Cloves.

Palate:

Thin, Young and Sweet. The Sweetness is more artificial now than it was on the Nose. A few Sour and Bitter accents as well. The Alcohol is more noticeable now. You can't expect a lot from a 3 years-old and the Palate confirms this. Not really bad but utterly forgettable. Almost like a simple Blended Scotch Whisky.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Toffee, Artificially Flavored/Sweetened Candy, Grass, Green Apple, Nuts and Nutshells, Pepper and Cloves.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Caramel, Vanilla, Grain Alcohol, Cider, Floral Perfume, slightly Sour Apple Vinegar, Milk Chocolate, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Cinnamon and Mint.

Finish:

Very Thin and quite on the Short side. Fruity at first. Increasing Herbal Bitter notes towards the Dry end. There's not much going on here. I find some Grains, Toffee, Vanilla, Grass, Floral Soap, Herbs, Green Apple, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Industrial Alcohol and slightly Sour Apple Vinegar.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and while it eases the effects of the Alcohol it also removes most of the already scarce Aromas and Flavors. It also increases the Dry Mouth-Feel.

Rating: 6 (******)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 6 - Finish: 5.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: 

Bottom line acceptable.

Conclusion:

Aber Falls is a very young distillery that was founded in 2017. It started with Gin but Single Malt Whisky followed quickly, the first being released in May 2021. The latest releases include a 3 year old Sherry cask matured bottled at 47% and a Madeira cask matured 3 year old.

Is it a good idea for a new distillery to launch a very young/undermatured Single Malt? If I was the owner of a distillery I would not do it although I understand the economic and publicity reasons to do so. I'd prefer the long term view though and would only present a fully matured Single Malt to the market, fully understanding that that would require substantial capital. Aber Falls choose the other way and went to the market with this 3 Year Old Single Malt that, while not bad, is simply too young and too weak to be considered a mature, interesting sipping Malt. It does not work for me although it's pleasantly priced of course. I will try to get a sample of the new Sherry cask matured Aber Falls bottled at a more respectable 47%. This 2021 edition of Aber Falls short of expectations though!

PS: It would be nice if the bottle would include information about a/o Color, Chill-Filtration and Type of Casks!

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                    January 21, 2026