Reviews for Aberlour A'Bunadh
The best value whisky you can buy?
I'm lucky enough to have drunk some very good whisky and whiskey over the years. To put this into context I've currently got a Glenfarclas 40, and Macallans going from 25 down to 10 in the drinks cabinet. However, I can safely say that this is the first whisky I have had that actually gave me an anxiety attack after the first glass.
All I could think about was buying more of it so that I would not have to suffer the terrible pain of running out. I've never thought that before, but with this dram I went out the following day and bout 5 more bottles (batch 47). I think that says a lot about both it's quality, it's price and it's relative rarity.
The high ABV (60.7) might not be to some peoples taste and it will possibly put some people off but I recommend trying it before you poo poo it as being too strong. Also, I won't be telling you how to drink this stuff. With ice, with water or neat, it delivers a wall of flavour that is otherworldly. It; like a huge chocolatey, toffee, fig, oak and balsamic hammer blow from the gods. Neat it coats the glass and then the mouth like nothing else and even with the high ABV is worryingly drinkable. Bang in a bit of water (I went in at about 6/1) and it lightens up a wee bit bit doesn't become diluted, it just feels like your listening to an orchestra in a theatre instead of your front room. The flavours separate a little better and there's more space to taste things. However, if you want the full 'wall of flavour' experience then neat is highly enjoyable and intense.
I don't want to bore you with all the different flavours (and there is a lorry load of them) but I will say that it is rich, very, very rich. Imagine christmas cake turned up to 11. Big cakey goodness.
The best bit about it though is how drinkable it is. It is one of the most enjoyable drams I've ever had. The night I popped the top on my first bottle I was sitting in the garden on a summers night with 2 friends. One who is a rum drinker, one who only drinks bourbon. Neither really like whisky. We finished the bottle in one sitting. I've never seen non whisky drinkers so readily change their minds about what they think of whisky in my life. And to quote my mate Mike, the rum drinker on his first sit "holy Christ, what the hell is this?"
And here is the clincher. If I was ever asked to recommend a whisky to someone, before trying this I had between 5 - 10 that I would flip between. After tying it I now only have one.
I hope the quality is maintained, I hope the price is maintained and I hope more people get a chance to try it. It is very special.
Master of Malt Customer Aug 4, 2014
Wow
Wow. Flavorful/strong burst on the smell. Sherry punch on the taste. Coats your palate. Likes to linger for minutes on end. Like I said... Wow.
Master of Malt Customer Jul 10, 2014
No regrets here
This is my first Aberlour, and I'm simply immensely satisfied with my purchase. Never had one quite as strong on alcohol before, but found I didn't need to dull it too much with water. I've never had a malt that coats the mouth as this one does without water. Lovely stuff!
Master of Malt Customer Jul 6, 2014
Ice cubes
This is for 7 Nov review also. You drink it your way; I'll drink it mine.
Master of Malt Customer Jul 2, 2014
Disappointing and therefor overpriced
This used to be one of my favorites when batch was 5-20. So I thought this to be a safe buy. How wrong I was! The quality is not even close to the early batches. You can tell that this is relatively young spirit. So it has nothing to do with different casks or other influences, this has to do with aging. I guess Aberlour thought - as the age statement is absent - they could get away with it as A'bunadh is very popular these days. Well, that might be true. But I will never buy one again. I am very very disappointed in Aberlour and will look elsewhere for my dram. Thank goodness there are a lot of other options.
Master of Malt Customer Jun 30, 2014
Trade
Winner of 1 award
