Aberfeldy 20 Year Small Batch Exceptional Cask Series

Rating: 19/23 - Intro - I just tried Aberfeldy 12 and really liked where it was going with the nose, but found that the palate fell a bit flat. I'm hopeful that this fills out the complexity and adds that missing layer of maturity. N: Much richer and fuller than Aberfeldy 12's nose, but also not as complex. I get this bitter vanilla with more of a, uh - it's not creosote or mineral spirits, but it's some sort of finish for wood. That largely covers some waxy lemon peel. There is a little bit of actual wood here too, but it's dry and not that pronounced. There's surprisingly little malt and grain here too. There's oddly a hint of meatiness from the base distillate that I would have expected would be gone by this age. My guess is that hearts make up a smaller proportion of the distillate than they do in the 12 - which is definitely the right thing to do here. As it sits out, I start to get hints of tangerine, with even less frequent and fainter wafts of something like banana and something like manuka honey. P: Whew. I was getting a bit worried from the nose, but this palate is a big improvement! It's surprisingly a tad thin, which I'm not a fan of, but it's not a big deal. There's a nice fullness and completeness here - and none of the meatiness or alcohol. I Actually get quite a bit of manuka honey. It's mixed with a big wood backing, and that light malt mixed with birch syrup (which is definitely birch syrup this time) that I got from the 12 year old. There are also some nice spices - mainly ginger, with a little clove and a hint of cinnamon. Some kind of vegetal grain notes peek their heads out of the honey at times. There's a decent amount happening here, but it's subtle. A bit of vanilla and mellow, mature wood, but also a dash of alcohol in with that birch syrup. F: A bitter backing with a little bit of numbness from the clove. The manuka honey starts doing a funky dance into the vegetal realm, with a small number of flavors swirling a bit. It's a bit of a funky finish, but I kind of dig it. - Conclusion - This is definite step up over Aberfeldy 12 (14). It isn't the most complex dram, but that manuka honey is pretty hedonistic and this one nails that flavor better than anything else I've ever tried except for Cadenhead's Tullibardine 25 (19). A quick side-by-side reveals more complexity and interesting funky flavors in the Tullibardine, but less balance. The Tullibardine does taste cleaner though with a little bit more of a refined character to it. Thw two are darned close, but I'd place this below the Tullibardine. This one is not a great comparison, but I don't have a whole lot of highland style scotch in the 16 range, so I'm trying this next to Loch Lomond 12 (16) as well. The Loch Lomond's execution is a bit sloppier than this one's, so I'm inclined to put this above it. Glen Grant 18 - a more sensible comparison - is pretty close in quality to this. The Glen Grant is oilier with a kind of heavier graininess. This is Sweeter and a bit spicier with a better balance. I think I have to give this one the win. Since this is between the Glen Grant and the Tullibardine, I'm stuck between an 18 and a 19. I was originally thinking would I have to give this an 18, but I'm leaning toward a 19 now because I think that this is closer to the Tullibardine in quality. A 19 it is, but a low one. Thank you @ctbeck11 for sharing this tasty dram!

Batch AB2798 Casks 6,7,8,9,10,18 & 120 Nose - Ripe apples, ripe Asian pear, dark honey, dark raisins, golden raisin sweet, hint of orange zest, cocoa powder Taste - Bit thin initially, candied ginger spice, rich ripe apples, fruity dark honey, dark golden raisins, sweet fruity spicy oak, lightly waxy mouthfeel, candied orange zest Finish - Lingering ripe honeyed apples, caramel, dark fruity honey, dark golden raisins Score - 95/100 Final Thoughts - This was quite an "exceptional" whisky to be honest. I was extremely wary at first due to the lower proof of 43%, but this definitely packed flavor way above the proof. Extremely well balanced nose from start to finish with a great balance of sweet honey/caramel, fruit, & dark dried raisins. This continued to the palate where on the first initial sip it seemed a bit thin, but then as your mouth warms it up, it coats your mouth with this lightly waxy sweet fruity spice that just lingers. The finish is quite long lasting & reminds me of eating fruit leather that's mostly ripe honeycrisp apples, but has a few ripe red & green grapes mixed in. This is great from start to finish with a great balance & throughout has that "vibe" that lets you know there is some older aged Scotch in this blend. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - Yes NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - honey, pear, apple, orange blossom, fig, peach, caramel, vanilla cream, cinnamon, grass, cashew, honeysuckle, mild ethanol burn. Taste - pear, apple, honey, white pepper, lemon zest, light oak, bitter walnut, caramel, vanilla, mint, ginger, grass, sweet floral notes, honeysuckle, grape, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with honey, orchard fruit, and walnut flavors. I bought this bottle on a whim last year. I’d never heard of the distillery, but the few things I read about it looked promising. The nose is dominated by honeyed orchard fruits. There’s some light caramel, creamy vanilla, and a nice nuttiness as well. The palate is very similar, with a pleasant fruitiness, more citrus influence than on the nose, and a walnut bitterness or possibly some grape skin tannins, leading to an equally pleasant, lingering finish. So your friends who hate whiskey probably won’t hate this one nearly as much. It’s gentle, fruity, and unassuming. There’s really nothing wrong here, but it’s just not my preferred style of single malt. I can totally understand why this would receive very high ratings though. If you’re a fan of fruity, floral, light whiskies like Dalwhinnie, I think you’ll love this one. For me, it’s very good but I can’t go higher than that.

Batch AB3099 Sauternes Finish - Casks 7,8,9,10 Nose - Ripe dark sweet baked apples, dark golden honey, golden raisins, sweet chestnuts, lightly tannic green grape skins Taste - Initial fruity apple stems/metallic bitterness, golden raisins, light honey, thin apple juice, baked apples, more metallic bitterness Finish - Lingering metallic/fruity bitterness, hints of honey and golden raisins Score - 67/100 Final Thoughts - So the nose on this one is quite pleasant, loads of baked apples with golden raisins and honey and really leads you to believe you're getting this amazingly fruity dram. The instant it hits your tongue, you're hit with this oddly bitter apple fruit stem vibe that's been sitting in a metallic container in the sun for a few days. There are hints of baked apples and honey that you get from the nose, but it's really quite dominated by the metallic and fruity bitter notes that's really quite distracting. The finish is more of the same bitterness and sadly doesn't get much better. Would I drink it if offered? - Maybe Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Very good but prefer 18 year French wine cask Nose: Honey, White Chocolate, Pineapples, Sultanas, Apricots, Dandelions, Bananas, Coconuts, Brown Sugar, Apples, Vanilla, Cherry Cola, Root Beer Palate: Honey, White Chocolate, Toffee, Salted Caramel, Red Apples, Almonds, Oranges, Walnuts, Nutmeg, Cloves, Brown Butter, Mangoes, Pineapples, Papayas Finish: Pineapples, Sultanas, Apricots, Walnuts, White Chocolate

Nose: honey, golden syrup, intense sweetness, marzipan, tropical fruit, pineapple Palate: syrupy, sweet, icing, Christmas cake Finish: soft Can definitely taste the sweetness coming from the Sauterne cask finish