Review #8 Aberlour A'bunadh Batch #39:

What did the bass player get on his I.Q. test?.... Drool.

Aberlour A’bunadh: Batch 39, 59.8% ABV, Father’s Day Gift.

Color: Amber +2 with a hint of golden orange glow.  Slow thick tears.

Nose:  Pepper, port wine, raisins, carmel, sweet floral, cocoa, citrus zest.

Mouth Feel/Taste:  Rich and oily.  Hot, black pepper, sherry, bitter dark chocolate, green leafy vegetative, strawberry jam, raisins.

Finish:  Warm, dry with more sherry, mincemeat

With Water:  N:  More pepper, raisins, stronger red wine note.   

    T:  The heat is tamed, slight cinnamon candy.

Score:  Taste: 71, Value: 10, Uniqueness:  5,  Buy Again: 3  Total:  89

This is a very intense dram.  A lot of flavor and overall a very good scotch.  A bit spicy due to it’s high ABV but it mellows out nicely with water.  The more time you give it the more it opens.   My chief negative marks are:  no statement on coloring, It’s a little pricy and sometimes hard to find.  Compared to CS Macallan, a bit more rough around the edges and also no age statement, but very much worth purchase for a special event, especially for us sherry scotch fans.  Depending on the day, I could add or subtract an overall point or two.