Only the ninth SMWS Allt-a-Bhainne surfaces having been distilled on the 11th March 2009. The whisky spent its entire life in 1st fill ex-Bourbon barrel. One of 227 bottles. Juicy Oak and Vanilla flavour profile.
Nose: Full-bodied fruity and herbal teas. Honey and light vanilla are combined with red apples, candied peels and coconut. Fruit infusions and herbal teas feature heavily and provide a good hit of bergamot, citrus as well as some dusty edges. Water releases orchard fruits and hints of cask spicing, particularly cinnamon.
Taste: Juicy fruits time. Red apples and Comice pears mix it up with the herbal tea brew and start to deliver some vegetal green pepper flavours as well as star anise and cinnamon. Water surprisingly dials up the sharpness for me, adding more pronounced sugary sweetness and hint of sherbet zing.
Finish: Medium to long and delivering both oak and dusty oak spices.
Not too commonly seen as a single malt whisky, this Allt-a-Bhainne delivers fresh and crisp flavours with solid fruitiness and some depth of character in terms of cask influence. Works equally well for me with or without water…so why not try it both ways?