Aberlour 1989, Bottle 144/360

At last it is time to get down to the Aberlour.

My younger daughter is studying to be a vet at London University. During the five year course the students are expected to spend a lot of time in between their time at college on work experience placements. Kathryn arranged to spend several weeks on Coll helping Sheila and Martin with their Eriskay ponies a couple of summers ago. As a thank you they presented her with this bottle of whisky. Kathryn doesn't drink whisky but she made me wait until the following Christmas before presenting the bottle to me.

It is from a single cask bottling. This has been made at 40% so this is bottle number 144 out of a batch of 360. It was distilled in 1989 and bottled at either 12 or 14 years; it is not obvious from the label. It is clear at 40% so was probably chill filtered. The colour is a mid brown so it is difficult to say whether or not caramel has been added.

The nose is sweet and sherry like with a distinct hint of wood, so the colour may be natural if it was a sherry cask. The first sip carries a mellow marzipan butteriness. It is easy drinking but lacking in complexity. Most single malts are actually a blend of several casks enabling a consistentcy of the expression. The lack of fullness in this single cask bottling is apparent. Never the less it is a lovely smooth malt, which would be a wonderful introduction for a whisky neophile.