Review by: The Muskox
After a couple of weird single-cask whiskies, I’ve done a complete 180 into the world mass-market, easy-drinking, and chill-filtration. This whisky is notable for being the basis for Dewar’s, but it’s started to have a decent market share as a single malt.
Distillery: Aberfeldy.
Bottler: Official bottling.
Region: Highlands.
ABV: 40%.
Age: 12 year.s
Cask type: American oak casks.
Price: $61 CAD.
Color: e150. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Nose: Sweet and bright. Cereals abound, with caramel and vanilla. Ripe apples, fresh orange peel, slight lemon and pineapple. A touch of fresh pastries. Not overbearingly sweet, which is nice.
Palate: Light body. Sweet arrival. More spice-led here: ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. The development is extended and pretty nice, actually. Oak and toasted almonds. Concludes with apple and yellow plum.
Finish: Sweet again, but with decent length. The oak fades to just a whisper. More fruit: banana, pineapple, and yellow plum. A little bit of red licorice and cola. There’s the slightest hint of char in the distance.
Conclusion: Not too bad. I had low expectations for this one, but it pulled through. I liked that it actually had some richness and length to it. It’s really simple, and definitely a “background” whisky for me. You could certainly do worse. *cough* Macallan Gold *cough*
Final Score: 73.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 