2022

Aberlour A’bunadh Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 50
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

59.6% ABV
$90-$100
Website
Aberlour A’bunadh Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

Sherried & Intense
Meaning ‘the original’ in Gaelic, A’bunadh is made in homage to Aberlour’s founder, James Fleming. A’bunadh is a whisky hand-made from start to finish with each batch being created to ensure a rich and complex flavour of moist raisin, and homemade fruit cake. It is bottled at cask strength resulting in a robust and deeply intense, sherried whisky.

Colour: Auburn gold
Nose: Aromas of mixed spices, praline and spiced orange harmonising with rich, deep notes of Oloroso Sherry
Palate: Orange, black cherries, dried fruit and ginger spiked with dark bitter chocolate and enriched with Sherry and Oak. Full bodied and creamy
Finish: Robust and intense with bitter-sweet notes of exotic spices, dark chocolate and oak

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, dark fruits with raisins, dates, stewed prunes, earthy Portobello mushrooms and wood polish, cocoa, caramel, grilled peaches, anise, smoked brisket and a hint of spent matches.
Palate:  Rich and intense with a thick mouthfeel, fruit explosion with prunes, raisins, pears, cherries, cinnamon red hots, anise, molasses and pepper.
Finish:  Long, syrupy thick with a cherry cough syrup note (but in a good way).
Comments:  Wow – Aberlour isn’t one of my favorite distilleries to be honest, as I usually get more than a hint of sulfur and spent matchsticks (which just aren’t my thing, but your mileage may vary). But this one is fantastic! Here that sulfur note is subtle, although some water brings it out a bit more, as well as amping up the anise (if I close my eyes, definitely get a black licorice vibe). This is a super dark dram. Do I wish it were age-stated? Yes – if only for the transparency; but based on what is in the bottle, this is delicious. I could give two sh!ts if they threw a splash of 3 year old in the batch (not suggesting they did!) Based on the intensity and complexity of flavors, and balance between the sweet and spicy notes, this is a damn nice pour!  So nice that in fact the first A’bunadh I ran across after trying this (a batch 64) I grabbed.  Also delicious, and pretty similar (just a tad lighter in color, and a bit less anise; I really like both although thought the nose on this one might be a tad more complex – but really splitting hairs).

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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Ledaig Cadenhead 19 Year

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Ledaig 19 Year Cadenhead Small Batch
Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky

53.7% ABV
$200
Website
Ledaig 19 Year Cadenhead

What the Bottle/Tag Says

Ledaig Distillery
Region: Island
Founded: 1798
Water: Mishnish Loch

The original distillery founded in 1798 was known as Tobermory. The distillery was closed in 1930 and was reopened as Ledaig in 1972. Today Ledaig is the name used for the peated version of Tobermory.

The whisky in this bottle has not been treated to change its colour. It is free from additives and has not been subjected to chill filtration.

Tasting Note:
Nose: Oily, with a hint of sea breeze. Fennel, rosemary and some lemon thyme along with flashes of wet smoke.
Palate: Very oily and then some grassy notes, some wet smoke and hints of aniseed.
Finish: Soft smoke lingers with wet grass and some mineral notes.

Distilled: 1997
Bottled: 2016
Age: 19
Strength: 53.7%
Cask: 1 x Bourbon Hogshead
No. bottles: 240

What Gary Says

Nose:  Oily and medicinal with peat smoke, savory herbs of rosemary, oregano, tarragon and thyme, creosote, sea air, heather and wisps of smoked fish.
Palate:  Oily mouthfeel, peat, minerality, smoke, vanilla, raw honey, pepper spice and a hint of anise.
Finish:  Long and thick with smoke, peat and vegetal notes.
Comments: Compared to the 14 year, this is lighter in color and is absent the lovely fruit notes (both due to the bourbon cask rather than the sherry). This is much more of a peat beast, which I enjoy a really peat-focused dram on occasion. A bit of water thickens this up really nicely, bringing out more sweetness with vanilla, subtle caramel and a bit of white chocolate (and I love how it clouds up with some water – thank you non-chill filtration!) I’d recommend letting this sit in the glass for a bit, as it helps take some of the edge off.  A very different dram than the 14 year, and really highlights the influence of the cask itself.  While Laphroaig was my first true love in the world of Scotch, over the years I’ve found I definitely reach for more sherry and port matured whisky – but variety is the spice of life.

Rating: Stands Out

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Ledaig Gordon & MacPhail 14 Year

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Ledaig 14 Year Gordon & MacPhail
Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky

57.5% ABV
$140
Website
Ledaig 14 Year Gordon & MacPhail

What the Bottle Says

Cask Strength
LEDAIG
From Tobermory Distillery
DISTILLED: 21/09/2000
CASK: Refill Sherry Hogshead
BOTTLED: 20/01/2015
REGION: Island
Aged 14 Years In Oak Cask
Natural Colour | Non-Chill Filtered

Each expression in our Cask Strength range is unique. A small selection of casks is carefully chosen and the contents bottled – always at natural strength and colour, with no chill filtering.

LEDAIG FROM TOBERMORY DISTILLERY 2000, 57.5% ALC/VOL
Smoked cured meat aromas with hints of leather and orange. The palate is sweet with fruit flavors, complemented by hints of bonfire embers.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich fruit and peat, leather, pipe smoke, kiwi, nectarines, medicinal, tobacco, smoked pork roast and ashy.
Palate:  Thick and viscous mouthfeel, oily, fruitcake with a healthy dose of peat smoke, blood oranges, raisins, pepper spice, honey, walnuts, savory spice notes including tarragon.
Finish:  Long and syrupy sweet with dark fruits, pepper, peat and smoked meats.
Comments:  This is my 2nd Ledaig and is lovely! The non-chill filtration is much appreciated, and really adds so much to the mouthfeel and palate. Just thick and syrupy throughout. I love the balance between the sweet and savory. A bit of water thickens this up even more, and brings the fruit forward along with baked pastries. I picked this up at a local package store during the pandemic (February 2021). I am a fan of independent bottlings, although rarely do I buy a second bottle (figuring I’d rather have a new experience and try something else). This was an exception to that, and I’m glad I picked up a second bottle. I liked it so much, that while grabbing that second bottle (in January 2022), I picked up another independent bottling of Ledaig (this one a 19 year from Cadenhead).

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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Longmorn 2002 17 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Longmorn 2002 17 Year
Signatory Vintage The Un-chillfiltered Collection
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Bottled Exclusively for The Whisky Exchange

56.2% ABV
$160
Website
Longmorn 2002 17 Year Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Bottle Says

AGED: 17 years
DISTILLED ON: September 17, 2002
BOTTLE ON: May 5, 2020|
MATURED IN: a Bourbon Barrel
CASK NO: 800638
BOTTLE NO: x of 229

Cask Strength | Natural Colour

What Gary Says

Nose:  Bright fruit notes of peaches, green apples, kiwi, coconut and cotton candy with fresh walnuts.
Palate:  Sweet with fruit salad, cherries, nutmeg, vanilla with a bit of toffee and nutmeg before pepper spice builds.
Finish:  Moderately long with fruit notes, vanilla and cracked white pepper.
Comments:  This is a really bright and fruity dram, with orchard and tropical fruits. I’ve tried a few Longmorns, and liked every single one (although I don’t recall the others being this fruity). The Whisky Exchange points out that they “… love Longmorn, and this bourbon-barrel-matured single-cask bottling showcases the fruitiness that so often gets lost in drams from the distillery.” I think they nailed it.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Seagrass 1st Release

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Seagrass
1st Release, 16 Yrs

Rye Whiskey Finished in Martinique Rum,
Madeira & Apricot Brandy Barrels

65.41% ABV
$250
Website
Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Whiskey 2021
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

  • Matured for 16 years
  • Distilled in Canada
  • Rye whiskey finished in Martinique rhum, Madeira, and apricot brandy casks
  • Aged in the US and Canada
  • Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
  • 130.82 proof cask strength bottling

The foundation of BCS Gray Label Seagrass began with two groups of 16-year-old 100% Canadian Rye barrels – one with bright citrus and crisp green apple notes and the other with earthy spearmint notes. A portion of the first group was finished in Apricot Brandy casks, a portion of the second group was finished in Martinique rhum barrels, and a blend of the first and second groups was finished in Malmsey Madeira barrels. When each set of secondary maturation flavors peaked, those casks were pulled and slowly married into the final blend.
This deeply mature and rye whiskey has a classic, grassy aroma reinforced by the equally iconic, fresh notes of aged Rhum Agricole. On the palate, the oily rye is complemented by the oxidative, nutty madeira character that also balances that richness with exuberant acidity. Apricot brandy casks splash bright, sometimes tropical fruit over the finish before it fades to reveal the maritime minerality that lends this whiskey its name.
Appearance: Rich, golden straw.
Nose: The savory side of rye is showcased by an array of exotic spices and seeds–caraway, fenugreek, dill, and mustard. Rye toast, grilled cornbread, and roasted taro root give it a bready depth. The Rhum Agricole barrels bolster the spirit’s innate grassy notes of cucumber peel, black olive, and bark mulch. Beyond the cask’s prior contents, the oak itself is expressed by cigar tobacco, coffee, and cinnamon.
Palate: Extremely oily, displaying notes of peanut-, coconut-, and tea tree–oils. As it’s held in the mouth it grows creamier with soy milk and cocoa butter. A bright lemonade note buoys nutty sunflower seed in a nod toward the madeira barrels. That madeira influence expands into notes of grapefruit peel, verjus, and gravel.
Finish: The apricot brandy casks pick up where the madeira left off, bursting forth with passionfruit, mirabelle plum, and banana peel. Now the collective minerality of the rye and its respective finishes wash over the palate with notes of chalk dust, flint, paraffin, and cedar smoke.
With a splash of spring water: The maritime scent of fresh costal breeze is dialed up. Maraschino liqueur, cloudberry, and green apple herald a fresh fruitiness. Meanwhile marmalade, burnt marshmallows, and roasted chestnut sweeten the palate considerably. It gets a bit woodsier too, with balsam, wild mint, and raspberry leaf.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rye toast with caraway seeds, caramel, oak, dill, heather, cinnamon, tobacco, dried mint and lemongrass.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with citrus notes, oranges and kiwi that sharpen to a sour grapefruit note, pepper, cinnamon and dried mint with notes of apricots.
Finish:  Long and drying with apricot, citrus zest and pepper.
Comments:  The nose on this is really complex – more so than the palate for me, which is on the sharp side. This definitely is more on the savory side of things, which I do enjoy. A bit of water brings out more mint on the nose, and maybe a note of mango on the palate along with more grapefruit. This is one where personally I prefer the standard Seagrass over this, but mainly because I am not a fan of grapefruit (and I wouldn’t say it is overbearing, but definitely prominent). If you are a fan of grapefruit, this might be fantastic – as that isn’t a note I get often in whisk(e)y, so this is definitely unique.

Rating: Stands Out

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