January 15, 2015

New Aberfeldy 12 plus two

Just like Craigellachie and Aultmore, Bacardi’s Aberfeldy has just been repackaged in 2014. Let’s try the new 12, and maybe a few others…

Aberfeldy 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2014)

I do love this new livery, although I have to say that I find this retro craze a little scary. Why do they all, including some indies such as DL, go for the 1920s or even the 1910s these days? Or is it only a temporary ‘hipster brand’ thing? So much for ‘innovation’! Colour: gold. Nose: really light, nutty and grainy, with a touch of praline and a very soft floral side. A little marmalade as well. Tinned peaches. Very inoffensive so far, this really is the lighter side of malt whisky. Mouth: bigger and fatter, very malty, with notes of ale and a touch of honey, as well as more grass than expected. More marmalade as well. Finish: rather lighter again, clean, with some Ovaltine and an unexpected salty touch in the aftertaste. Comments: I’ve just read my notes for the older ‘livery’, and it seems that what’s inside this lovely new bottle hasn’t changed. Solid malty malt. SGP:441 - 79 points.

Aberfeldy 1995/2014 (55.8%, Gordon & MacPhail, Cask Strength, refill sherry hogshead, casks #2488, 2489 & 2491)

This might be the total opposite of the new OB. Colour: straw. Nose: probably a rather good example of a very punchy malt that’s aromatically quite light. I find some candy sugar, caramelised apples, then the same kinds of flowers as in the 12, then plenty of barley, both malted and unmalted. And cereal bars, breakfast biscuits and such… With water: freshly mown lawn, a little mud, maltbarn, then rather grapefruits… Swims very well. Mouth (neat): very thick, with the texture of honey, then an immense maltiness. It’s maltier than malt! Also toasted bread and roasted peanuts. Spectacular in its own genre, while the sherry’s quite shy. Maybe a handful of raisins? With water: gets fruitier. Again, oranges and grapefruits. Having said that there’s a rising bitterness. Bitter oak? Finish: long and a little astringent. Lemon skin and grass. Comments: some parts were exhilarating (the nose with water) while others have been harder (the finish). SGP:461 - 84 points.

And a last, older one…

Aberfeldy 23 yo 1978/2001 (50%, Douglas Laing, Old Malt Cask, 186 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: a rounder, fatter and more mentholated version of the G&M, reeking of oak oils, pinesap, cough syrup, then rather earth and clay… It’s a style, as they say. These whiskies are often very interesting on the nose, but the palate may be much more difficult. With water: full grassy maltiness and no mint and sap left anywhere. Fun and strange. Mouth (neat): probably a love-it-or-hate-it malt, because of these rather extreme menthol and sap notes that are striking again. A lot of honeydew mixed with cough syrup and Bénédictine. Thick mouth feel, you’d almost feel you need a spoon to get it out of your glass. With water: oh, the same phenomenon happens, water kills anything resinous and opens the door to fresh oranges. Finish: long, with a profile that depends on the amount of water you added. Comments: two whiskies in one! These beastly babies are always hard to score. Bah, let’s say… SGP:461 - 82 points.

Check the index of all Aberfeldy I've tasted so far

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback