Aberlour with a cult TV reference and without the sherry - just a 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel for this 10 year old. Sweet, fruity & mellow profile.
Nose: Bright and fruity with an orange and lime tea infusion, mango and apricot sauce and plenty of fresh red berries. An unusual, but at the same time appealing chalky minerality pervades the entire nose – dusty but not ashy, rocky, but not limestone. Think Andrew’s Liver Salts but without the zinc-like sharpness. In the background, a spoon of honey and plenty of crumbled rich tea biscuits. Dilution adds almonds as well as a herbal character – cut stems and leafiness.
Taste: Rather confectionary with lemon drops, Haribo and Bone Shaker candy (don’t feel bad if you have to Google that one) and a similar minerality to the nose – chalky and dusty and certainly textural with touches of sherbet along for the ride. The mid-palate delivered a combination of maltiness (barley water) and fruits (primarily citrus) alongside leafy greens, oaty cereals and hay. Water softened things up, reducing the steeliness and adding herbal tea and chopped almonds.
Finish: Quite a big impact, though on the shorter side of medium in terms of length – gummy sweets, cask char and continued chalkiness.
This Aberlour works nicely for me – the combination of sugary fruitys, sweet shop goodies and dusty minerality all ties together to create something that is both tasty and thought-provoking. One of the better-priced options from this month’s outturn and in my view certainly worth a look.