Review #103 - Aberlour A'bunadh Batch 70
Batch variation is a hot topic in whisky in general - this Aberlour is one of the examples brought up most often. This conversation often revolves around the earlier batches of the A'bunadh (batches 20-40) compared with the more current batches (60+), but we wanted to look at a more micro-scale comparison reflective of our time in the whisky hobby. Here are some highlights of batches 60 through 77, based on aggregated WhiskyBase ratings.
Batches 60 through 64 - average score around 86.5
Batches 73 through 77 - average score around 85.3
For reference, Batches 10 through 30 averaged a score around 87.7
Whiskybase ratings for the batches 60 to 77 of Aberlour’s A’bunadh
Not necessarily a dramatic drop over the course of the last 17 batches, but an undeniable gradual downward slope. What's the cause of this drop? Is it less well-aged stock used in the mix, or a decline in the distillate, or the quality of the casks being used? Hard to say for sure, but something is surely changing.
Aberlour A'bunadh is a cask strength single malt, not age stated, with full maturation is Oloroso sherry butts. Our batch, 70 specifically, was bottled in April 2021, around the middle of the range we looked at. We bought it at $77 a couple of years ago, and we've been pretty lucky to see the price stay there in our market.
Aberlour A'bunadh Batch 70
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 77 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 77 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 61.2% ABV
Cask Makeup: Spanish oak Oloroso sherry butts
Details: Batch 070, bottled 2021-04-29; not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 14 months; bottles at 90%, 70%, 70% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Rich and full of dark fruits, juicy Malbec wine and cherries, orange and fig and red grape. There's quite a bit of baking spice in here: cinnamon is the most obvious, like cinnamon red hot candies, but also brown sugar and caramel, vanilla, hazelnut, and chocolate cookies. Past all of these sweet notes, there's a dry side of oak and dry grass, some tannins, wood sugars, and a bit of heat from the strength. We end with bits of lemon citrus and leather.
Palate: Oily and powerful, on the sweet side, with a thick mouthfeel. The sherry-style fruits of prune, raisin, and fig are plentiful, but we also get some strawberry and mulled wine. On the spice side, lots of black pepper and cinnamon, hot spiced cider and a sharper nutty flavor; there's nutmeg and some dry oak... this is actually a pretty oak-forward experience, bourbon-like at times. Sugary notes of molasses and Tootsie Roll are sprinkled in, some smooth caramel and cherry cola come and go.
Finish: Medium-long and quite warm - the oily, velvety texture lingers into the finish, providing lots of sticky dark fruits and mulled wine along the way. Still a decent amount of oak, with spices of cinnamon, clove, and cardamom coming along, but also sweeter tones of vanilla and brown sugar. Spicy all the way to the end, and this is a cozy experience in retrospect.
Final Note: This is a tasty bottle, but we wouldn't call it exceptional. The strength does allow plenty of flavor to come across, especially in the forms of dark fruit and spice, but the notes end there. Not a whole lot of spirit signature hanging around - this is all about the cask. If we're going to focus solely on the barrels used in aging, then we wouldn't mind seeing this aged a bit longer to get some more mature oak flavors mixed in.
Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.82
