Aberfeldy 28 year old was introduced to global travel retail in 2016 joining an already released exclusive 18 year old. A 12 year old, 16 year old and 21 year old form the rest of the distillery’s aged range and all have been given a smart, modern rebrand in the last few years.
Technically, there are two different Aberfeldy 28 year olds. The distillery also released the’ Gold of Pitilie 28 year old’ (named after their Pitilie Burn water source). Only 8 bottles of this 1985 vintage were produced, adorned with 22 and 24 carat gold leaf and priced at £2,612 per bottle – they all sold out in a matter of hours.
Our 28 year old is (alas!) the ‘standard’ bottling, which comes in the new design and branding and is bottled at 40% ABV.
Nose: Unmistakably Aberfeldy – a lovely mix of fruits, confectionery and well-aged wood. Initially we’re greeted with toffee apples, peaches, orange zest and a hint of pineapple. There’s some sherry influence here, raisins and sultanas and the like, but these play second fiddle to pronounced woodiness – aged aromas from polish and varnish, fresher ones from tree sap, wood planking and beeswax. A wonderful nose.
Taste: Surprisingly viscous for 40% ABV (though still could have a wee bit more oomph for my liking) and delivering a rich and creamy arrival which emphasises both sweetness and wood. Toffee and fudge are joined by ripe apples, poached pears and a heavy dose of old wood in the form of leather bound books, furniture polish and tobacco. Pleasant and well-judged spice in the form of ginger and cinnamon adds interest and also imparts bitterness which temper the more overtly sweet note which drive this whisky.
Finish: Medium in length, somewhat astringent and spiced with ginger.
Aberfeldy 28 year old offers a lovely drinking experience – it’s the type of whisky that’s both indulgent and refined, but also easy to get along with. Great balance of sweetness and bitterness with an old wood profile that still allows the more fruity underpinning flavours to shine through. Very tasty stuff indeed. Alas, the price of this one has completely skyrocketed. It was, from memory, around £220 when released in 2016 – now, a year later expect to pay £430 if you’re picking this up at Heathrow. Inflation is on the rise in the UK, but it’s still rather a long way off being over 100% per annum.