Country – Region: Scotland – Speyside
Distillery: Aberlour
Type:  Single Malt
Age: 19
Cask: 1st Fill Sherry Butt
ABV: 58.3%
Proof: 116.6
Number of Bottles: 516
Price: $280

Nose: Dates, raisins, cinnamon bark, toasted oak, raspberry, strawberry, orange zest.

Palate: Soft and refined, caramel, figs, oak tannins, dark chocolate, ginger dryness.

Finish: Long and pleasant, oak spices, cloves

If Aberlour comes with a California exclusive single cask, I have to taste it. Aberlour 19 Year Old Single Cask is made exclusively for the California market and aged in a 1st fill Sherry butt for 19 long years. It is bottled at 58.3% abv and only 516 were released. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find one now. The price also made me hesitant to get on at $280 but why not give it a chance right?

How Does This Taste?

Smells like Indian summer to me. The nose has dates, raisins with toasted oak with summer flowers, raspberry, strawberry jam and orange zest. Feels like the last warm days in the fall. The palate is actually softer than I expected and totally refined. A very round taste around caramel, figs, dark chocolate with sublime oak tannins and a ginger dryness, quite a pleasure. The finish is very long and pleasant with oak dates, spices and cloves.

Adding water didn't do much impact to the nose and the palate but opened up sandal wood and tobacco notes on the finish.

Verdict

Brilliant whisky with a dark look but an easy soul. Aberlour did a good job for Sherry lovers. As dark as it looks, this is not an explosive Sherry bomb that will overkill you. This is an elegant, refined Sherry bomb that you will actually enjoy every minute.