
February 9, 2017

Three indie Aultmore

Aultmore is not an underdog!

Aultmore-Glenlivet 19 yo 1997/2017 (54.2%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 252 bottles)

A brand new one. Apparently, there’s also a new Aultmore 19 in the Small Batch range. Colour: white wine. Nose: pure barley eau-de-vie with a thin layer of custard mixed with green tea, and then growing Williams pears as well as whiffs of camphor and damp chalk. A very fresh nose, probably x-fill wood. With water: same, really. Perhaps a touch of hay? Mouth (neat): a rather acidic arrival, with bags of lemon bonbons, green gooseberries and plums, and then some very lemony ginger eau-de-vie (try Metté’s!) Or perhaps some very citrusy gin, but I’m totally uncultured with regards to gin. With water: add a little spearmint and a drop of mezcal. Finish: medium, really on some kind of lime-y mezcal. Comments: a very naked oldish Aultmore. We’re close to Nature with this one. SGP:551 - 85 points.

Aultmore 24 yo 1990/2014 (46%, Hart Bros, Finest Collection, sherry butt)

Colour: amber. Nose: wah, millionaire shortbread, old Madeira, Brussels sprouts, cigars, walnut wine, leather, Swiss cheese, manure… Aren’t we very curious about the palate now? With this kind of slightly cabbage)y nose, it’ll be either brilliant, or totally wrecked, let’s see… Mouth: well, it’s more an old dry sherry than malt whisky! It’s closer to sherry than, well, brandy de Jerez. Wheelbarrows of walnuts, bitter caramel, cigars, asparagus, soft mustard, all-spice mix… Finish: long, on exactly the same flavours, although the tobacco-ish side tends to grow and grow. An obvious saltiness in the aftertaste. Comments: some rather extreme dry-sherried malt. I have to say I like this quite a lot, but it’s probably pretty segmenting. SGP:262 - 88 points.

Sherry? Sherry!

Aultmore 25 yo 1990/2016 (54.4%, Douglas Laing, Xtra Old Particular, sherry butt, cask #11066, 302 bottles)

Colour: deep amber. Nose: oh well, you know that song. Prunes, raisins, chocolate, cigars, humus, coffee, Christmas cake, whiffs of crushed mint leaves… So with water: and right there, maduro cigars and walnut cakes. Mouth (neat): some very rich, and very excellent I should add, sherry monster. You just cannot not think of old-style Macallan. Pipe tobacco, Corinth raisins, figs, marmalade… In short, the whole shebang. With water: oranges! Superb notes of Seville marmalade… Finish: long, orange-y, softly spicy, with more cloves in the aftertaste. Comments: an excellent total sherry monster, a Wagner of whiskydom. What’s more, balance was achieved. SGP:462 - 90 points.

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