Aberlour A’Bunadh remains a classic, even though it seems to have lost some of its fans due to the lighter colour and lighter sherry influence. Launched in 1998 and once a benchmark sherry bomb, it now looks more like a sherry-finished whisky. Just an impression by the way, it is definitely matured full-time in Oloroso sherry butts.
I think the last editions I tried were A’Bunadh Batch 54 and A’Bunadh Batch 55.
Aberlour A’Bunadh – Batch #71 (61,5%, OB 2021, Oloroso sherry butts)
Nose: modern sherry, with some vanilla to start off and a whiff of American bourbon (sweet cinnamon and coconut). Then sultanas and a good dose of oranges and marmalade. Even a bright fruity note of nectarine. Some honey and candied ginger. Some polished oak / resin and nougat too. Hey, nice.
Mouth: my initial enthusiasm now fades a little. Quite woody, with a sweet mint theme, liquorice and dried herbs. Some candied fruits in the background, vaguely. More marmalade, wee bitter notes from the wood as well. Ginger and pepper. Later it moves towards cinnamon and dark chocolate.
Finish: long and rather dry, with spicy oak and more of the dark chocolate.
Much less ‘sherry bomb’ character than in the old days. Quite a transformation, really different from the 5x or 6x batches. That said there have always been better and worse batches and this is certainly not below all the old batches. Still available from The Whisky Exchange for instance.