Carn Mor Aberlour Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Aberlour 1989 (27 year old) 55.1%

Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: 1989 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: July 2016

A fragrant and mature nose with a touch of dusty oak and almost mentholated herbal notes. Lovely complexity with hints of barley, dried grape, coconut, lemongrass and a smidge of baked fruit and a sliver of citrus.

The pallet opens with mature barley, vanilla and slightly oxidised fruit. Hints of toffee, coconut come through on the middle with the thread of citrus that the nose displayed. Long and remaining oaky with hints of white and dark chocolate, herbs and drying, but not intrusive tannins.

That Boutique-y Whisky Company Aberlour Tasting Notes

That Boutique-y Whisky Company Aberlour Batch 3 49.2%

Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Jan 2015

Nose: A little soapy but pungent and herbal with a lightly astringent coastal character. A touch of coffee and malt comes through and the herbal notes take on a young rye-like demeanour with time.

Palate: Crisp and fresh, but again slightly soapy. Relatively straightforward with barley, salt and herbal notes.

Finish: Intense and herbal with a lingering saltiness.

Conclusion: A bit simple but pleasantly bracing

Douglas Laing Aberlour Tasting Notes

Douglas Laing Xtra Old Particular Aberlour 1990 (25 year old) 51.7%

Sherry Butt/ Code: XOP0045/ DL10953

Dist: Nov 1990 Btl: Nov 2015/ / Tasted: Dec 2015

The nose is very herbal, coffee’d and balsamic with malt extract, treacle, beeswax and hints of apricot and soft spice. There’s a lovely intensity of baked fruit, raisins and dunnage notes. With time a touch of creamy vanilla is added to the mix.

The palate is wonderfully soft opening with lightly vanilla infused dusty barley and raisinated/ plumy dried fruit. Quite malty with a subtler baked fruit character. Pleasantly oily middle with a light herbal sherry note. Long and spicy with lingering vanilla and dried fruit. Wow! That’s impressive. Finishes with a touch of midnight violet, treacle and some drier wood spices.

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Douglas Laing Old Particular Aberlour 2008 (8 year old) 48.4%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0747/ DL13174

Dist: Dec 2008 Btl: Apr 2019/ Tasted: June 2019

The nose is quite oaky and gritty with herbal barley and sweet vanilla/ toffee. The oak really dominates with time and the toffee note becomes a little burnt in character.

The palate is unsurprisingly heavily vanilla’d with sweet barley and creamy toffee. Yes, it’s an oak fest and thus pretty one dimensional. Short and a little bitter with spicy tannins and spirit notes on the finish.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Aberlour 1995 (20 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0183/ DL10713

Dist: Feb 1995 Btl: Feb 2015/ Tasted: Aug 2015

Wonderfully fresh and tropical aromas. Quite honeyed with hints of balsamic malt, warm vanilla and fragrant herbs.

The palate opens with the honey but there is plenty of drying tannins and alcohol here too. Quite mineral and citric on the middle. Long and continuing citris with some malt and fragrant herbs coming through on the finish.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Aberlour 1992 (21 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0122/ DL10436

Dist: Sept 1992 Btl: Aug 2014/ Tasted: Sept 2014

A very mature and straw-like nose with herbal barley, cardamom and hints of milk chocolate and toasty vanilla. Edgy citrus and a green fruit (gooseberry, greengage and under ripe rhubarb) note emerge along with a touch of white wine vinegar, apple and toffee. With time a little grainy spirit appears along with a light barley sugar note.

The palate is dry and straw-like with barley, light coffee and plenty of mature oak tannins. Quite granity and citrusy on the middle with a little perfumed apple. The citrus notes follow through to a mouth-watering finale. The herbal barley returns as does the toffee but the citrus lingers. 

Douglas Laing Old Particular Aberlour 1995 (21 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0285/ DL11063

Dist: Feb 1995 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

Aromas of oily barley and herbal honey with hints of pear drops, lemon and wood shavings. Lightly malty with hints of vanilla and a lovely barley sheen. Becomes fresher with time.

The palate opens with the oily barley and heavier oak notes. Quite honeyed an deep with vanilla, subtle stewed fruit, earth and malt. Beautifully balanced with sweetening oak notes. Long and lightly spiced with lingering herbal honey and citrus.

 

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Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Aberlour 2000 (12 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2233/ DL9340

Dist: Jun 2000 Btl: Jan 2013/ Tasted: Feb 2013

A lovely nose of sweet barley and cut grass. Slightly winey with a touch of white fruit along with some herbal honey and sweet marc like notes.

The palate opens with the sweet barley found on the nose along with some fleshy, soft apricot and melon, all pleasantly lightly honey coated. The palate shows more maturity than you would expect given the nose and has a lovely spicy finish interwoven with grass, mineral and herbal notes.

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Aberlour 1990 (21 year old) 50%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: OMC2163/ DL8230

Dist: Nov 1990 Btl: Mar 2012/ Tasted: May 2012

A spicy nose of toffee’d apple, dark malt, earth, cinnamon and clove along with a soupcon of sherry.

The palate is quite earthy, soft and supple with toffee coated baked apple and hints of malty treacle. Darkly spiced with plenty of light sherry tannins. It becomes drier towards the middle with hints of leather, walnut and a touch of dried fruit. Pleasantly complex, finishing with a return of the dark, treacle sweetness.

Douglas of Drumlanrig Aberlour Tasting Notes

Douglas of Drumlanrig Aberlour 1999 (12 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Code: LD7643/ Dist: Nov 1999 Btl: Nov 2011

Aromas of high toned white fruit, apple and cinnamon. Quite appealing, lightly honeyed with a slight sugariness along with hints of creamy oak.

The palate is soft and a touch spirity. Plenty of herbal notes abound with some latent honey, banana and a touch of grass. Slightly gristy and sweet on the middle. The oak really grips and bitters out the finish, adding a smidge of white chocolate.

Douglas McGibbon Aberlour Tasting Notes

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Aberlour 2008 (7 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: PRV1148/ DMG10766

Dist: May 2008 Btl: Jun 2015/ Tasted: July 2015

Water white in colour. Soft and quite botanical on the nose. Surprisingly attractive with hints of citrus, white fruit, barley, white liquorice and light vanilla.

Soft and straightforward on the palate opening with oily barley. Weightier and not as citric as the nose would suggest with apple, pear and a touch of soft vanilla. Quite mouth-filling with a good, lightly spiced finish. Not hugely complex but pleasant with more oak character than I expected given the lack of colour.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Aberlour 2000 (12 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: PRV0939/ DMG9074

Dist: Jun 2000 Btl: Oct 2012/ Tasted: Nov 2012

A beefy, malty nose with plenty of dark toffee, herbs, heather and dark spices. Very masculine with some late, quite dense vanilla oak notes.

The palate opens quite sugary with malt and dark toffee. Big and chewy with some light spice, herbs and camphor. Quite long with a return of the sweet malt along with a touch of smoke and wood spice.

Scotts Selection Aberlour Tasting Notes

Scotts Selection Aberlour 1990 (16 year old) 52.5%

Bourbon/ Dist: 1990 Btl: 2006/ Tasted: Sept 2007

Very floral aromas – Acacia and mingled white flowers. It has a very fresh edge to it with the alcohol very noticeable. Underneath there is a nice depth of citrus fruit and soft, creamy oak. A drop of water brings out a sappy, botanical and herbaceous note.

The palate is juicy and fruity. Loads of layered citrus fruit and a lot of Bourbon oak. Water makes it a bit straightforward emphasising the soft spices. Short. The alcohol dominates and there’s a citrus/ gin like botanical after taste. Water lengthens it and like on the palate brings out the spiciness. It’s ok. Seems younger than 16 years old.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Aberlour Tasting Notes

Scotch Malt Whisky Society 54.24 1996 (11 year old) ’The best of heaven and hell – Editor’s Choice’ 56.8%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Dist: Jul 1996 Btl: Mar 2008/ Tasted: April 2008

A soapy, gin like botanical nose with grass, a slight apricot note, liquorice and herbs. With time some perfumed orange fruit appears. The palate has an intensity of soapy, herbaceous and menthol – In fact it tastes like bubble bath! It has a good length with gently spiced apricot and finishing with the high toned botanicals

A drop of water emphasises the youth gin like notes and the orange notes but one cannot escape the slightly false bubble bath character.

Dewar Rattray Aberlour Tasting Notes

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Aberlour 2000 (12 year old) 55.9%

Bourbon Cask 3072/ Dist: Jun 2000 Btl: Jan 2013/ Tasted: Feb 2013

A lovely, typically Speyside nose of fresh, high toned white fruit and citrus along with hints of creamy vanilla and a grassy note. With time it begins to show its darker side with hints of malt, treacle and dark toffee.

The palate is quite youthful with cereal and malty notes. Some sweet barley appears along with some lightly creamy oak. Gently spiced with some dark treacle and toffee in the finish, which is slightly masked by the alcohol and woody spices.

With water the nose opens up beautifully to display light castor sugar coated citrus fruit (lime, tangerine). Now extremely vibrant and grass with the dark side well under control! The palate has lightened, like the nose and shows some gorgeous summer barley along with a light orange/ tangerine note. Very grassy on the middle, just like an oak aged Sauvignon Blanc and a long, lightly sugar’d finish. 

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Aberlour 1996 (13 year old) 57.5%

Bourbon Cask 90076/ Dist: 1996 Btl: 2009/ with hints grass, lime and oak.

Quiet weighty on the palate with straw, earth, cereal flavours. Lovely intensity, opening into a grassy, apricot middle. Good length with the alcohol dominant. A drop of water brings out the high toned citrus and grass aromas. On the palate it brings out the sweet malt and vanillins. All in all a pleasant aperitif malt.

Dewar Rattray ‘Single Cask’ Aberlour 1996 (14 year old) 46%

Bourbon cask 90081. Sample received at 56.4%%

Dist: 1996 Btl: 2010/ Tasted: Sept 2010

Quite a high toned nose, yet robust and expressive. Exceedingly fruity with plenty of tropical pineapple and banana along with lots of lovely creamy vanilla oak and hints of soft spices.

The palate is a touch oily with the oak flavours opening the proceedings followed by the tropical fruit, which is hanging on by it’s finger tips against the onslaught of the vanillins! A brief piquant alcohol burst is followed by a honeyed, grassy finish.

With water (which is closer to what it will taste like at 46%)

The nose is lighter and showing more grassy typicity. The oak has been restrained now and it allows the gorgeous honeyed fruit and spices to shine. The palate is softer, with a slightly milky/ creamy consistency. Still grassy and tropical, but now a delightful malty core has been revealed. Lovely balance and a long grassy finish.

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Aberlour 1989 (22 year old) 51.1%

Bourbon cask 245100-479/ Dist: 1989 Btl: Feb 2012/ Tasted: Feb 2012

A dense and oily nose with hints grass and dried straw. Very venerable, almost too venerable with plenty of toffee-malt, oak and a slight perfumed white flower note at the edge. With time there is some light granulated sugar, white liquorice and beeswax.

The palate is very sweet. Lots of granulated sugar followed by the mature oak and coffee’d spices. Lots of tannin too, especially on the middle along with some herbal notes. The funny thing is that it sort of pauses, like gathering a breath before finishing with an almost minty freshness.

I must say I’m in two minds about this and out of curiosity I added a drop of water and it all fell apart. I did think it was maybe a tad old and quite fragile and dilution confirmed those fears as it became oily, confected and slightly watery with the spices unfortunately turning a bit cardboardy.

 

Blackadder Aberlour Tasting Notes

Blackadder Raw Cask Aberlour 1990 (12 year old) 60%

Bourbon Cask 3319/ Dist: May 1990 Btl: Mar 2003/ Tasted: July 2005

Quite floral and youthful on the nose with a perfumed malty character and an apple blossom note.

Light-Medium bodied, quite soft and a bit winey. Very different from the distillery bottling. Soft and sweet on the palate with a lovely roundness and those floral notes. Long finish with a touch of rich, dark chocolate and a lingering hint of peat.

Berry Brothers Aberlour Tasting Notes

Berry Bros & Rudd ‘Berrys’ Own Selection’ Aberlour 1990 (15year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Dist: 1990 Btl: 2005/ Tasted: Sept 2007

Crisp, Sauvignon Blanc-esque nose. I would guess at a finish of some sort. It is a touch chemically with the classic cat pea/ gooseberry Sauvignon character and not a lot else.

The palate is dry and clean with soft citrus and gooseberry fruit and soft spice. Simple and I’m not overly keen.

Berry Bros & Rudd ‘Berrys’ Own Selection’ Aberlour 1995 (13 year old) 46%

Bourbon Cask/ Dist: 1995 Btl: 2008/ Tasted: Jul 2009

The nose is light, elegant and citrusy. Beautiful depth of honeyed orange fruit. Quiet perfumed with marmalade, vanilla and earth.

Soft and fresh on the palate. It has an appealing Chardonnay/ Sauvignon Blanc character along with hints of light straw, earth and white fruits. Delicate yet oozing charm and character. Very long with the Sauvignon Blanc/ grassy notes remaining.