Aberlour A'bunadh ('the original' in Gaelic) is bottled at cask strength (typically 59 to 61% ABV, varies by batch), NAS, matured entirely in Oloroso sherry butts. It is the bottle whisky obsessives reach for when they want a serious sherry bomb without GlenDronach Cask Strength money: Christmas cake, dried fruit, dark chocolate, orange, a hefty oak spice, all at full strength so you dilute to taste. Each batch is slightly different (the batch number is on the label) which is part of the appeal for the obsessives and a frustration for anyone who wants consistency.
It is hot and intense neat, and genuinely rewards a few drops of water, which open it into a rich, warming, deeply sherried dram. At £55 to £75 it is more expensive than Glenfarclas 105 but generally regarded as a notch above in refinement.
Buy this if you want a cask-strength Oloroso sherry bomb and want a step up from Glenfarclas 105. Skip it if you find heavy sherry cloying or you want batch-to-batch consistency. The right price is £55 to £70. Add water; it needs it.
Positive on both axes, a credible recommendation.
- plusA serious cask-strength Oloroso sherry bomb. Christmas in a glass.
- plusGenerally regarded as a notch above Glenfarclas 105 in refinement, if more expensive.
- plusCask strength means you control the dilution. Each batch is its own thing, which obsessives love.
- caveatHot and intense neat. Genuinely needs water for most palates.
- caveatBatch variation is real. The batch you buy this year won't taste exactly like last year's.
- caveatHeavy Oloroso isn't for everyone. If you find dried-fruit-and-oak cloying, this is too much.
- flagPernod Ricard pricing has crept the A'bunadh up notably. It was a £45 to £55 bottle a few years ago, now £55 to £75.
- flagOccasional sulphur notes from sherry casks, batch-dependent. Most blow off with air, but it's a known risk with heavily-sherried whisky.