Aberlour 12 Sherry Cask – Highlands (Speyside) Single Malt Scotch

Originally posted to Reddit by TOModera

Awhile ago I wanted to be part of the Aberlour A’bunadh community review, and by chance a coworker was going to England. I wrote down the name (for some reason he couldn’t remember it), gave him the money (as it’s $30 cheaper there), and patiently awaited his return (okay, I wasn’t that patient).
As you can surmise, some guy at duty free read his note and handed him a different bottle. I wasn’t too sad, as the bottle of Aberlour 12 Sherry Cask was 1 L and cost less than a 750 ml in Ontario!

Region: Speyside – ABV 43%

Price: $56.45 (CAD)

Tasting Notes

• Colour:

Light Caramel

• Nose:

Cherry, cough syrup, brown sugar, mace, apricot, maple butter, red grapes, vanilla, strawberry, angel food cake. This is quite sweet. Like, very sweet. Like, Canadian whisky sweet, though the sherry helps quite a bit. There’s some spice, however I’m getting a lot of sweet. I like very sweet things, though this is really sweet.

• Taste:

Apple, cumin, toffee, light strawberry, mace, pepper, jalapeno, lemon. More fruit and spice in the taste, however that sweetness is a little cloying. Luckily it mellows out over time. Reminds me of some people I knew in University; first they were sweet, then a little too hardcore, then they mellowed out over time…

• Finish:

Mushroom, sour cherry, tart clementine, cocoa, arugula. Then they started having an earthy taste… wait, no they didn’t! They tasted like shame and regret!
The similarities end. I was actually enjoying the smooth taste, and then this tart, earthy flavour stopped everything. Luckily it has a short, though it’s a little off putting given all the sweetness. I guess it’s a good thing in the long run, as otherwise this would be a cherry whisky.

Conclusion: I almost feel like there’s something missing in this one. It’s not a bad dram, and it’s certainly a decent sherried dram, it’s just a little bi-polar. I’ll definitely enjoy it after a steak or with some dessert, however I’ll probably be treating it like an ex-girlfriend after it’s done, slowly moving away, and not buying going back to the well again.

82/100