“What Am I Gonna Do With You”
Whisky Review # 1088
Country: Scotland 🏴
Region: Southern Highlands
Brand: Aberfeldy - Distilled: 03.04.2014 - Bottled: 29.10.2024
Bottled By: Keeble Cask Company Ltd. (KCC), Leith - Fragrant Drops Series
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask# 252 - Bottles: 207
Age: 10 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 60.7% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: No
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 80-100 (March 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Bottom line okay
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Bottom line okay
Buying Advice: 😔 It's okay but you can get a 10 Year old Highland at this price!
Colour:
Golden (Natural Colour)
Nose:
The ABV is quite strong so avoid Nosing in the middle of your glass. On the Nose this Aberfeldy is relatively Young, Yeasty, on the Dry side and Medium Sweet. The main drivers are Citrus, Stone Fruit and Cereals. It's not unpleasant but there isn't a whole lot to discover.
Golden (Natural Colour)
Nose:
The ABV is quite strong so avoid Nosing in the middle of your glass. On the Nose this Aberfeldy is relatively Young, Yeasty, on the Dry side and Medium Sweet. The main drivers are Citrus, Stone Fruit and Cereals. It's not unpleasant but there isn't a whole lot to discover.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Demerara Sugar, Yeast, Dough, a plate of Breakfast Cereals with Milk, Dried Banana and Raisins, Citrus Peel, Green Apple, Pear, Oak, Pepper and Ginger.
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Demerara Sugar, Yeast, Dough, a plate of Breakfast Cereals with Milk, Dried Banana and Raisins, Citrus Peel, Green Apple, Pear, Oak, Pepper and Ginger.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Butter Biscuits, Grass and Straw, Herbal Tea, Almonds, Milk Chocolate, Green Grapes, Candy with Artificial Fruit Flavor (Melon, Apple, Coconut), Floral Perfume, Aniseed and Licorice.
Honey, Butter Biscuits, Grass and Straw, Herbal Tea, Almonds, Milk Chocolate, Green Grapes, Candy with Artificial Fruit Flavor (Melon, Apple, Coconut), Floral Perfume, Aniseed and Licorice.
Palate:
Mainly Sweet with a little Bitterness from the Oak. The Alcohol is quite strong as was to be expected. The Palate mostly follows the Nose with Fruit, Cereals and Vanilla. Good Delivery. Certainly not unpleasant.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Grass & Straw, Citrus Peel, Green Apple, Pear, Melon, Breakfast Cereals with Milk, Sugar, Nuts, Coconut Shavings and Dried Banana, Yeast, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger and Licorice
Main Flavours:
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Butter Biscuits, Apple Cider, Ginger Ale, Caffe Latte, Herbal Tea with added Milk, Sweet Almonds, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Menthol and Aniseed.
Finish:
Medium Long, Fruity, Bitter-Sweet and Medium Dry. The Alcohol is quite present at this point. I find Sweet Barley, Caramel, Toffee, Demerara Sugar, Biscuits, Grass and Straw, Vanilla, Cereals, Orange Peel, Green Apple, Melon, Pear, Bounty Bars, Herbal Tea, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Menthol and Licorice
Drinking Advice:
The ABV of almost 61% suggests to add quite a bit of Water. That's only partially true though. The added Water helps to control the strong Alcohol but also brings the Cereals, Oak and Spices to the forefront at the cost of the Fruitiness. I prefer it neat but there's certainly room to experiment with a little Water.
Drinking Experience Neat:
The ABV of almost 61% suggests to add quite a bit of Water. That's only partially true though. The added Water helps to control the strong Alcohol but also brings the Cereals, Oak and Spices to the forefront at the cost of the Fruitiness. I prefer it neat but there's certainly room to experiment with a little Water.
Rating: 7 (*******)
Nose: 7 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7
*** 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.
Good but without the "Wow" factor.
Conclusion:
Aberfeldy distillery is located in Aberfeldy (Perthshire) in the Southern High-lands. It was founded in 1896 by John & Tommy Dewar. They needed a Single Malt for their blended Whisky Dewar's White Label. Since 1998 it is owned by the Bacardi Group. A very beautiful visitor centre was opened in 2002. The annual production amounts to around 2 million litres at the moment. The core ranges consists of the 12, 16, 21 & 25 Years Old. We visited this distillery and the visitor centre in May 2017 and really enjoyed it.
Aberfeldy distillery is located in Aberfeldy (Perthshire) in the Southern High-lands. It was founded in 1896 by John & Tommy Dewar. They needed a Single Malt for their blended Whisky Dewar's White Label. Since 1998 it is owned by the Bacardi Group. A very beautiful visitor centre was opened in 2002. The annual production amounts to around 2 million litres at the moment. The core ranges consists of the 12, 16, 21 & 25 Years Old. We visited this distillery and the visitor centre in May 2017 and really enjoyed it.
Keeble Cask Company Ltd (KCC), Leith is an independent bottler that was founded in January 2020 by George Keeble.
I was thinking hard what to write about this Aberfeldy when the song "What Am I Gonna Do With You" by Barry White came to mind. Because that's exactly how I feel about this KCC expression. It's not bad but certainly not overly interesting as well. And why bottle it at such a high ABV? The spirit certainly doesn't need it. I did not find any off-notes but I also didn't experience any real joy while tasting. I think that at this price level I would go for a 10-12 year old Highland Single Malt like Ben Nevis, Glendronach, Highland Park, Ardnamurchan or Glengoyne instead.
Cheers! 🥃
Jan van den Ende March 19, 2026
