The new Aberfeldy 15 Years is matured in bourbon re-fill and re-char casks and finished in Bordeaux red wine casks from the Pomerol region for 4 to 5 months.
Aberfeldy 15 yo (43%, OB 2019, batch #2919, Pomerol Bordeaux wine finish)
Nose: the winey side is well controlled. It’s quite fruity, with apricots, red apples but also added strawberry notes and red berries. Nice honeyed notes. Mint. A little resin. Light spices (cinnamon) in the background.
Mouth: rather oily, with an initial sweetness of Gummi bears and cherry liqueur. Raspberry filled chocolates. Still some honey. Then it turns more towards oak (including some tannins and cloves) and a more obvious winey character. Also liquorice, tobacco and minty notes. Chocolate.
Finish: medium, with clove and much more mulled wine now, walnuts and green oak.
This is like a rosé version of Scotch malt, but overall fairly mild and expertly executed (until the finish perhaps). One of the few red wine finishes that I would recommend. Available in most European markets, check The Whisky Exchange for instance.
Score: 85/100