Aberlour A'Bunadh Batch 36 Single Malt Whisky

  • Country: Scotland
  • Region: Speyside
  • Category: Single Malt Whisky
  • Owners: Pernod Ricard
  • Bottler: Distillery
  • Brand: Aberlour
  • Age Statement: NAS
  • Chill Filtered: No
  • Alcohol % ABV: 60.1
  • Cask Strength: Yes
  • Average Price (2023) £: 76
  • Colour Status: Natural
  • Peated / Smoke: Unpeated
  • Cask Maturation / Finish: Sherry
  • Single Cask: No
  • Mash Bill: Malted Barley
  • Barley: 100
  • Whisky Experience Level: Experienced
  • Value Score : 95 out of 100
  • Bottle Stopper: Natural Cork
  • Packaging: Tube
  • Core Bottle or Special Release: Batch Release
  • Product URL: https://www.aberlour.com/en/product/abunadh-scotch-whisky/
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Aberlour A'bunadh Single Malt Whisky

Original Listing from Master of Malt for Batch 36:
Link to Master of Malt current A'bunadh Release


Meaning ‘the original’ in Gaelic, A’bunadh is made in homage to Aberlour’s founder, James Fleming. A’bunadh is a whisky hand-made from start to finish with each batch being created to ensure a rich and complex flavour of moist raisin, and homemade fruit cake. It is bottled at cask strength resulting in a robust and deeply intense, sherried whisky.

Nose
Aromas of mixed spices, praline and spiced orange harmonising with rich, deep notes of Oloroso Sherry

Palate
Orange, black cherries, dried fruit and ginger spiked with dark bitter chocolate and enriched with Sherry and Oak. Full bodied and creamy

Finish
Robust and intense with bitter-sweet notes of exotic spices, dark chocolate and oak

One comment

  • Review 54 has been supported by Stewart from the Twitter account @StewedWhisky by kindly doing a dram share with us. You can also catch up with Stewart at his Whisky Blog.

    This is batch 36 of Aberlour A'bunadh, released in 2011 we believe, bottled at 60.1%, the strength does vary between batches. From what we know, A'bunadh which means 'The Original', is a blend of Oloroso Sherry matured single malt from whiskies aged between 5-25 year old. The currently available batch at the time of writing is number 63. It retails for an average price of £76.45, the upper and lower prices do vary by quite a margin, so it's definitely one that is worth shopping around for if you local or preferred store doesn't have it in stock.

    It is non chill filtered and natural colour, being cask strength and taking everything into account it receives a value score of 95.45 out of 100.

    On the nose; It's intense and the alcohol does show itself immediately, jumping out of the glass. It is rich, dark christmas cake fruits of raisins, cherry and sultana. There is vanilla and dark chocolate.

    On the palate; It is syrupy and luxurious with its mouth coating texture. Dark fruits again from christmas cake, but prune, ginger and nutmeg also show themselves. Its bitter on the finish. Compared to the Edradour and the Deanston, both sherry bombs that we reviewed earlier, this is harder to drink neat, the A'bunadh needs water more than the others.

    With water it becomes more citrus and custard shows up more pronounced. Coffee, caramel and cut grass make an appearance. The spices which are five spice, show up more heavily, we are talking Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Ginger and Star Anise. It moves from being a christmas cake, to a christmas pudding with vanilla custard.
    Mint also show up on the palate with the addition of water.

    This is a really nice dram, the addition of water brings out more of the sherry than whisky. The syrupy texture become a lot thinner with the addition of water, but the flavour and nose is still strong. The price is difficult to get around and we would consider buying one only at a lower price, but as reflected in the value score of 95 this is actually a great value whisky, you do get a lot for your money. This is a different sherry whisky to others we have tried before and would love to try another batch. This batch 36 however we score 87/100.

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