Steeped in centuries of legend and surrounded by the dramatic Highland scenery of Ben Rinnes, the village of Aberlour lies at the very heart of Speyside, where the Lour burn joins the River Spey. The exceptionally pure, soft spring water used for making Aberlour whisky is drawn from nearby natural springs.

Aberlour (Scottish Gaelic: Obar Lobhair), is the name of a town in Moray, Scotland. Aberlour is always a good choice – one of the best value Speyside malts around. This double matured version is a mix of traditional oak and sherry casks and is rich and fruity with delicious Christmas cake notes.

In the glass, this Aberlour really shows off the character of its two-wood maturation. Although not quite into the American whiskey amber range, it is quite coppery, akin to gold with a red tinge.

ABV: 40%. Color: Light amber

I recommend you let it sit in your glass for 10 minutes or so to let it open up and breathe.

Nose
The nose is firmly staked on soft-and-malty territory, with a solid note of Starking apple (also known as Red Delicious) for character. Undiluted, cinnamon, toffee, dried dark fruits, vanilla, oak, apple, it smells like Christmas.

Palate
Comes over as a medium-bodied, well-balanced sipper, straight forward and flavorful. A nice dollop of earthy woodiness plays off the sherry-driven, dark and red dried fruits core. It’s simple and delicious Undiluted, very rich mouthfeel, sherry, buttery toffee, cinnamon, vanilla, raisins, nutmeg, brown sugar, cherry notes, very moreish. It tastes almost like bourbon, sherry influence is strong and there is some nice spice to it as well as the sherry sweetness Full flavor with clear taste of chocolate and cinnamon.

Finish
Rolls off a sweetly spicy note to deliver plenty of lingering warmth. Medium length, sweet vanilla, toffee, a little spicy nutmeg with hints of chocolate cherries. Feels significantly sharper than its 40%. Makes a mild aftertaste.

Balance, Body & Feel
I don’t recommend adding water to this whisky. Doing so allows a bit more fruitiness to come through, but Aberlour 12 isn’t bold enough to require water.

Diluting tends to tone down the richness a bit, and the richness is one of the things I love best about this whisky.