Aberlour A'bunadh Alba

I was let down a bit with this one. Age: NAS Nose: light...vanilla and apple cake...little caramel. Palate: this is the best thing about this whisky. Thick, fairly oily. Drinks at 46%. Almost refreshing for the proof. Get just enough of the apple and vanilla..little pear. Finish: solid. Doesn't wow you, but solid. As aforementioned, drinks like a lower proof, however also has the flavor of a lower proofer. Eh...just a solid finish. This one was frustrating. Great mouthfeel, but to be honest, just halfway there on the flavor. Had a glencadam 10 side by side,and I would pick that everytime over this.

Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba 57.1% Batch 001 Bourbon Oak Barrel Aged Nose: rich, sweet and pretty...almost perfumey without being annoyingly so. Vanilla bean, sour mash grain, Camellia flower, tart and overly ripe apples in an orchard in fall, lemon cream frosting, sweet tobacco leaf, raspberry flower honey, orange creamsicle. Mineral. Palate: immediate oily dense blast of sweet flavors. Honey, vanilla, chewing tobacco, honeysuckle, apple butter. Mid palate explodes in peppery barrel spice. Ginger, clove, cracked pepper medley, sour apple. Finish: astringent turning slightly creamy. pepper, mineral, over-ripe apples in cream.

For a cask strength whiskey, this one is surprisingly smooth. It needed an ice cube to help it breathe a bit but has a nice finishing burn to it.