Aberlour 10 Year

Nose: Sherry, a hint of orange and caramel. Leather and light fruitcake notes emerge over time. [The dry glass aroma is all caramel and leather]. Arrival: Soft but spicy, turning spicier with oak tannin as it develops. There is a mid-palate morph where it suddenly turns from orange-sherry to malted barley, but there is an overall deficiency of complexity and texture. Finish: Medium/short. Cereal and caramel. The oloroso sherry note is right at the front of the nose, and tends to swamp everything else at first. Other aromas emerge with time and this is a youngish whisky that benefits from a rest in the glass more than you might think. It's not bad, with some subtle things going on, but it's a bit on the simplistic side. Adding water doesn't do much apart from slightly emphasizing the spicy ginger note, but it does open it a little. Taken neat this would be a reasonable daily dram or a good palate cleanser to start a tasting session of sherried whiskies. Worth giving a try if you if you happen to find it on special, but to be honest not worth seeking out. "Average" : 79/100 (2.75 stars)

Knockendarroch 26.10.2018