This whisky is a new release from the popular Speyside single malt brand of Aberlour. It forms part of a trio of new whiskies for their travel retail range. The other bottlings are the no age stated Aberlour Suthainn and 13 Years Old Double Cask Matured. They have been created by Sandy Hyslop, the Master Blender for Aberlour, and designed to showcase the craftmanship of those that work at the distillery.
This Aberlour 16 Years Old Double Charred Selection has seen a finishing period in extra charred American oak ex-bourbon barrels. It is bottled at 43% ABV and will cost £121. The Aberlour 13 Years Old Double Cask Matured (40% ABV/ £68) has been matured in American oak ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. Aberlour Suthainn (48% ABV/ £85) is matured through a sherry cask solera process using European oak ex-sherry casks.
The trio feature a refreshed design with a lighter bottle and packaging. This is to reconfirm brand pointers for customers and reduce weight. The three bottlings are available now in UK airports, plus Delhi airport in India. A worldwide activation will be seen from April this year onwards.
The Aberlour distillery is located in the picturesque Speyside village of the same name. The village sits on the banks of the River Spey. The distillery was founded in 1879 by James Fleming, a wealthy local business man. He paid for numerous buildings and services for the village including the first supply of electricity and the village’s hospital – this is still open today and carries his name. The annual production capacity is 3.8 million litres.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is deep coppery gold and the nose is buttery, sweet and fruity with an underlying spice. Heady aromas of green apple, butterscotch and orange oil lead the way. These are supported by juicy apricot, cocoa powder and vanilla. Underneath sits a distinct warming and woody spiciness. This evolves with time and is reminiscent of cinnamon, mace and hard gingerbread. Some fresh linen also comes through.
On the palate this whisky feels luscious and sweet but with a definitive spiciness. This holds throughout and is reminiscent of freshly sawn oak, cinnamon and clove. Caramel and tangy orange zest are followed further notes of soft baked apple with butterscotch sauce. A hint of icing sugar, marzipan and marshamallow also comes through here. The juicy apricot from the nose is also evident and is joined by dried raspberry, dried red apple and some lovely creamed coconut. The woody characteristic really comes through towards the end.
The finish is long and warming with the oak characteristics really taking hold. The sweet and fruity elements slowly fade and add a sugary, almost tropical, juiciness. The gingerbread note then leads the way as the cinnamon and clove also come through nicely.
What’s The Verdict?
This Aberlour 16 Years Old is delicious and shows off the classic Aberlour sherried style of single malt but with a distinctive twist. The finishing period in those extra charred American oak ex-bourbon barrels has added an extra level of sweetness, but also crucially a deep and vibrant spicy edge. Travel retail is often used by whisky companies as something of an experimenting ground for twists on common expressions. This single malt is the perfect example of that done well.
