Aberlour 1995 (Douglas Laing)

I tend to know the sherried Aberlour profile pretty well (A’Bunadh and such) but I’m far less experienced with bourbon matured Aberlour. Here is a refill Aberlour 21 Year Old 1995 in the Old Particular series from Douglas Laing.

Aberlour 21 yo 1995 (51,5%, Douglas Laing Old Particular 2016, refill hogshead, 278 btl.)

Nose: freshly cut apples with cinnamon dust, grist and hints of rockpools and flints. Uncommon, but not unpleasant. Oak shavings, hints of pepper. Honeydew melon. Perhaps a little aniseed.

Mouth: neutral, with a bit more of these garden fruits. Apples, gooseberries. Not a fruity whisky though, it’s very naked, a feeling that is underscored by grassy notes, bitter grapefruit and green tea. A little ginger.

Finish: long, rangy, still rather bitter, with hints of aspirin, Campari and spices.

A rather austere, Lowlands-style Aberlour with a good deal of bitter notes. Interesting, but a little more roundness and fruity notes would make me score it higher. Around € 120.

Score: 80/100