Aberlour Casg Annamh (Batch 3)

Relatively new NAS line from Aberlour. This third batch was the first time I actually saw this. 48% ABV. Non-chill filtered. Olorsso sherry. I guess this is supposed to be A'bunadh's younger brother? Let's check it out. Nose: Apple, apricot, pear. Raisin, cranberry, raspberry. Vanilla, caramel, toffee. Cola. Red grape. Honeydew. Peaches and cream. Banana and walnut. Nougat. Oak and light baking spice. Barely a hint of ABV; the complex layers of the nose bury the ethanol. Very nice. Palate: Apple, cranberry, raspberry, golden raisin, and red grape. Caramel and vanilla. Milk chocolate and fudge. Orange. Tobacco smoke. Pear and apricot. Oak, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Full-bodied, layered, and tasty palate. Awesome. Finish: Plum, cranberry, raisin. Apricot and orange. Caramel, cocoa, and cola. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-long. Great way to end it. This was sort of a random purchase--meaning I got it on a whim. I didn't really have much an expectation coming in. So I find it a pleasant surprise that this absolutely delivers; both in terms of quality and value. $70 for a NCF, high-proof, quality Olrosso cask single malt is well worth it in my book. A note for Aberlour: stick with the higher-proof offerings. This and A'bunadh demonstrate that the distillate performs better uncut; they're both significantly better than the 12 and 16. The 18 is great on its own merit, but even that sits at a higher proof than the 12 and 16. At any rate, great malt. This is a welcome addition to Aberlour's core line. I'm looking forward to trying future batches down the road. 4.5/5.

Impressions @ 1/3 bottle: Like other young sherried whiskies, the nose is cloyingly sweet. Aromas of golden raisins and dates dominate, but a nice wood spice emerges with time. The palate generally remains balanced as the initial burst of dried fruit is followed with the bitterness of black tea, the woodiness of cinnamon bark, and a very slight earthiness, similar to damp compost. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side and the finish is medium-long. If memory serves me, this improved substantially over the 8-9 months that this was open. I enjoyed this, but Glendronach 12 is similar but better, and also better value, in my opinion.

Nose: candied orange, cherries, touch of cinnamon Taste: more candied fruits with added spices such as clove, maybe a hint of ginger Finish: dried fruit, sweetened bread? Overall, really delicious if you like a full, fruity Scotch. Definitely one I'll remember.

A slightly darker, not quite as smooth as the A'Bunadh Alba, the Casg Annamh is still in the 'sherry-bomb' class but doesn't have quite as much kick as the Alba.

Bloody good. Lovely rounded depth and richness, I guess for the Sherry casks. Nice spice hints. No harshness. Getting almost banana on the palette.

Cherry. Better with water