whisky review 462 - Aberlour A'bunadh Batch 48
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- . . . 3rd (time-line) review of a modern malt classic.
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On several occasions, your video reviews provided me with information that I couldn't have obtained otherwise or by myself.
That's not to say I don't follow my own 'whisky path', but your efforts are very much appreciated!
+Stijn Vanderstraeten . . . happy to help with the malt-moments !
Ralfy, you are a living legend.
I just picked up a batch 67 up here in Canada; hope it’s good.
Edit- it’s bloody amazing. Outrageous flavour and strength, numbs the tongue too.
I’d give it higher Marks than 86
Canadian taxes on liquor - and all booze - is retarded. We need to have a revolution! These stupid taxes on cigarettes, and alcohol must decrease. This is basically robbery.
This is exactly why Ralfy's reviews are so delightful, educational, and valuable.
Thanks for all the good and honest work.
Slàinte.
E150a carmel colorant I would guess in this malt but not as bad as dalmore 12. It does say non chill filtered. A great pour btw. Now i got to see my batch. Purchased April 2021. Batch 68
Don't have to worry about the issue of the casks being dismantled with Edradour. I was up there a few weeks ago and had a chat to one of the barrel boys in the car park (they had just taken delivery of some lovely port pipes) and I asked if they ever receive casks dismantled, he said "no, it's too much hassle". I guess Edradour being small don't need to buy huge quantities of casks at a time so they're better off with a truck load of intact casks, plus they must have a number of different sources for casks considering their range of expressions.
Thanks Ralfy.
I used to love A'bunadh. Batch 6 was the first I tried and it was great! So I bought a bottle for myself, which was batch 18 and I really enjoyed it. Next time I bought a bottle it was batch 24 and it was very good but didn't seem quite as memorable... So I didn't buy any for a while and the next bottle I bought was batch 61 and sadly that'll be the last bottle of A'bunadh I buy. It's no longer my go-to 'celebratory' whisky.
. . . your experience happened to us all. I have a few precious early bottlings left, but nothing bought after batch 40
Through a series of fortunate events, I just came into possession of a bottle of Batch 11, bottled way back in 2003. Have never even tried A'bunadh, though it's been on my list for a long time. Tempted to buy a current bottle to do a comparison.
Inner staves: not traditional. E150a: a vital element of Scotch whisky heritage. Am I missing something?
I had a batch 58 and it's still one of my favourite drinks I've ever had
Well done Ralfy for being so honest in your revue.
Thank you Ralfy. These kinds of no-holds barred, critical reviews are immensely educational. I've watched as A'bunadh has slowly crept up in price and down in quality. Very sad. Let's hope the distillers a paying attention!
Batch 49 is the one to really look for. In terms of intrinsic quality it was well above the mean. For whatever reason it is said to be an exceptional release in the series. But honestly they all are relatively good. If you can find it and find it at a decent price.
Six years later, Aberlour abunadh still going strong. Batch 64 fine indeed
Sorry to be off topic but does anyone know a tool to get back into an instagram account?
I somehow forgot the login password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me!
@Christopher Otis Instablaster ;)
@Marc Jerry I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now.
I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
@Marc Jerry It did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy!
Thanks so much, you really help me out !
@Christopher Otis glad I could help =)
I enjoy the occasional re-reviews. They add depth and a story to the individual whisky brands, and after multiple re-reviews are analyzed together, an objective view of the larger industry's direction can be formed. This in turn gives feedback and enhances other observations. For example, if we taste a sherried whisky that has -improved- in recent years, that would certainly be a noteworthy occurrence in light of current industry trends!
Reviews like these allow opinions like "sherried whisky is dropping in quality" to take on a more factual nature, as tasting notes can be referenced.
And in a broader since (this is a Ralfy video after all), I feel that keeping a pulse on the time element allows the overall experience to achieve greater depth. Not only is it an experience of taste and smell, but an experience of memory and change. The comfort of a reliable whisky and the surprise of a sudden change is absolutely an important part of the whisky experience!
PS: And a question... what heroic whiskys are bucking the trend and improving at the current time?
Batch 46 was just wonderful, one of the best they've released so far. Disappointing to hear that they seem to have slid a little.
Interesting - I tried Batch 46 and it was not good - in fact, conventional wisdom on 46 is the same.... look at this www.connosr.com/reviews/aberlour/aberlour-abunadh/batch-46-oh-dear-this-is-bad/ This matched my experience to a tee - in fact this same reviewer rated Batch 45 a 93, again in line with what I have found. Batch 46 was not balanced - alcohol heavy on the nose, never balanced out even after being opened for a while. It was a disaster IMHO - in fact, I returned it. Granted, everyone's experience is different, I am only talking comparatively to recent batches. Batch 46 and 48 seem to have issues.... your mileage may vary, respect that, just sharing my expeience.
Batch 45 IMHO was good.... which seems to resonate with many reviews.
OVERALL - I agree with Ralfy - over time and compared to earlier batches, younger whisky has crept in, and it does not stack up to the knock outs from earlier batches.... BUT Batch 45 is STILL good IMHO.
Malty Mucker I have to ask, do you read the reviews before or after you taste? My experience has been that we sometimes get too pre-programed by the reviewers.
Glad to hear this, I’ve got a batch 46 bunkered unopened for a rainy day
Ralfy, you have taught me everything about Single Malt and blended Scotch whisky, as well as most everything about Bourbon and Irish Whiskey . Your reviews are simply splendid. I wouldn't have known about the importance of the cask until listening to you. Most distillers have the production of the spirit right but are having trouble getting the cask maturation correct. Is there a shortage of sherry butts coming out of Spain. I know there has been some rumbling of oak shortages here in the states for bourbon. Chuck Cowdery for runs does not buy that line.
I meant to say Chuck Cowdery for one doesn't buy that.
I bought this last summer and I'm a little bummed about it. I've had A'bunadh before and it was truly magnificent. Fresh forest and black tea and syrupy sweetness is what I remembered and expected.
This one is a little young and sharp and a strong smell of rubber. It doesn't take water well either...
Still a good whisky but Glendronach 12 was a better sherry experience for a peat lover.
Edit: Cask strength, no chillfiltration = still a better whisky than hipster 10/12 year whiskies at 40%, filtered beyond all recognition and false colour.
My first Scotch purchase in my lifetime, man was this worth it. Needs a bit of water, which you've highlighted here. Delicious. I love wine so this is a natural transition for me
Ralfy, very interesting note. The various Australian whiskey producers buy a lot of casks from Seppelts who make a lot of terrific sherries and obviously there is no shortage of wine barrels down under. So it is interesting to see the intersection of our wine industry for the now handful of excellent producers. So for now it look like we are lucky as the supply of Australian sherry casks is somewhat more dependable than from Spain.
I bought a Longrow 11 yo Red Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Cask bottled at 52.1%. Just fantastic whisky. If you can source it buy it.
The stave comments are spot on. I have done numerous vintages at wineries and the use of oak chips, direct immersion of stave's etc in wine in barrel delivers the same effect and reduces costs. What is not to like? Totally get for the super premium reds you might not want to do it but as a way to make a $25 red into a $20 one it is a no brainer for me.
Cheers.
Mark
Thank you so much, Ralfy! I have only been drinking single malts seriously since January 2013; however, in the spirit of the injunction to be a good, fussy customer, I would like to share a rather troubling observation: so many of my bottles of single malt scotch show signs of deterioration after just a week's time! I'm not sure what is going on here since these include spirits with high ABV's stored in proper conditions with the corks tightly sealed. Furthermore, I drink at the same time and at a safe distance away from my last meal. I know folk continue to describe drams that only get better with age & with some air exposure in the bottle, but to a one these have progressed from complex, articulate, and ambrosial (upon first pour) to having acquired heat, sharp edges, and a generalized flabbiness. If this keeps up I may have to establish a cult dedicated to the perfection of the first pour or something. (Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon or is it just me? Recent examples: Jura Prophecy, Bunnahabhain 12, Lagavulin 16 & - TRAGICALLY! - Suntory Yamazaki 18-year-old!) Still, the adventure continues to excite! Best wishes, malt mates.
Got my first bottle of aberlour a'bunadh last week, amazing stuff
I have a batch 52. I add a couple drops of water and its perfect.
Thanks for the shout out Ralfy, cheers!
wow this one is a real eye opener.
I too remember many years ago when AA was just outstanding. like you said back in the real early batches ....that was a time when NAS wasn't a curse word, nor was it even a variable or consideration in the decision process. The complexity alone put it in a class all its own.
.
With these latest batches AA sounds a little engineered as it continues to hang on for dear life trying to recapture those glory days, but without proper casks maturation AA appears to have relegated itself to the 2014 "spin the wheel", "just another NAS whisky" bin. A real shame that is.
cheers maltmate.
I have batch 66 open and it's the only whisky that I've drunk and craved the next day.
Ralfy. I know exactly what you are saying. I also have hesitated buying the new batch of Laphroaig Quarter Cask. I wasn’t too impressed with the first batch of Laphroaig QA and I remember I told you so. I received a gift of another QA a month ago and it was even worse than the first with a thin sourly acidly sharp taste. It was lacking so much of the body of a classic Laphroaig. Frankly, I would be embarrassed to have put this on the market. I had a quarter of an old bottle of Laphroaig 10 YO to hand so poured that into the QA bottle. It gave it a bit of body but when my daughter heard what I had done she was very annoyed with me that I'd waisted a good 10 YO on it.
Regarding your comment about not speaking to the distillery. I respect your opinion and feel that overall you are correct in your very honest approach. However, I have noticed a couple of times that you seem to have identified sherry notes in a whisky which the distillery manager has assured me contained 100% ex-bourbon. Either the manager is being economical with the truth or perhaps what you are tasting is part of the ester heavy fruitiness of the distillation process which can sometimes be quite dominant and perhaps be confused with a slight ex-sherry cask influence. What do you think?
Just purchased a bottle of A'bunadh Batch #46 tonight...hoping I won't be disappointed. But I'm a fairly new maltmate so my tastes may not be as discerning...;). It was a toss up between this and a Caol Ila 12. :)
Soooo what’d you think? I’ve got a batch 46 unopened for a special occasion
At version 71 now I’m a die hard fan of this malt. As with everything in the scotch universe there are ups and downs with every line of malts. Since I bought several bottles of this version I have played with it a bit. At a 50/50 mix with The Naked Grouse/Malt the current expression is a blast at a 30% price reduction. 🥃
Having just pulled the trigger on batch 71 today and being a bourbon lover, I concur. Well worth the price and a blast of rich flavors with every sip. One of my favorites already and something I have been looking for to further my venture into the world of scotch. Will have to try your 50/50 blend once I get my hands on a Naked Grouse.
Perhaps Glenfarclas 105 should deservedly take A'bunadh's crown? The last bottle of that I tried was actually better than it has historically been and cracking value in a litre bottle at 60%.
Cheers and thanks Ralfy : )
I tried some a'bunadh in an excellent whisky bar in Kraków a few months ago (batch 42, I think it was) and I thought it was a very enjoyable whisky. When I got home I decided to order one and I recieved a bottle of Batch 47. The smell is as fantastic as I remember it and well worth the money on it's own. The taste, however, is a bit staler than what I remember. I'll have to give it more time and see how it develops as I go further down the bottle, but I have some fear it just won't be as good as what I had when I tried it the first time.
I’m surprised you’ve not heard of this phenomenon. Drinking Greek Ouzo on the terrace on your Summer holiday is a joy, tastes like drain water when you’re back in the UK.
Good review - at worst, bad news well broken. For all the things that producers "now understand" about process control that their predecessors didn't, it's curious that it's not resulting in better whisky. According to Compass Box's telling of the tale, the SWA threatened CB with legal action and, having already gathered as much publicity over making "the illegal whisky" as could be had, CB gave in - but it never went to court, so I don’t think the legality/illegality of the process was ever determined, and the SWA is a trade association, not a regulatory body. Allowing inner staves might not be a bad idea but, if we're talking about opening up the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 for review, outlawing E150a and making age statements/product content information mandatory would probably do as much to benefit consumers.
The ironic part is that, in contacting the Scotch Whisky Association, producers would essentially be calling each other: the SWA is a who's who of whisky production companies. Consider the roster of the current SWA Council below:
Ian Curle, Edrington (Chairman)
Pierre Pringuet, Chivas Brothers Ltd (Vice Chairman)
Graham Stevenson, Inver House Distillers Ltd (Treasurer)
Albert Baladi, Beam Inc
David Cutter, Diageo plc
Bill Farrar, Edrington
David Gates, Diageo plc
Peter Gordon, William Grant & Sons Ltd
Stuart Lowthian, John Dewar and Sons Ltd & Bacardi
Rosemary McGinness, William Grant & Sons Ltd
Paul Neep, The Glenmorangie Company Ltd
Laurent Lacassagne, Chivas Brothers Ltd
Leonard Russell, Ian MacLeod Distillers Ltd
Fraser Thornton, Burn Stewart Distillers
Paul Walsh, Diageo plc
If the SWA stands against measures that would improve casking and overall quality, the obvious questions are "why and who is the SWA designed to benefit".
Wow.. well said dude.! Really hope more people will realize this.
kubr1ck36 Thank you very much. By being so prominent, the SWA does try to present itself as the "gatekeeper of Scotch", and that does sometimes result in people thinking that it sets the rules rather than the SWA just being a very powerful insider club/industry lobby group. I think that Scotch does need more legal "gatekeeping", particularly on regulation reform and getting some legal definitions in place on terms such as "single cask" and "small batch", but I certainly question any action the SWA would take (or perhaps keeps FROM being taken) in that process. Looking at the roster and the current state of affairs, I don't think it's any mystery why a lot of consumer concerns aren't being addressed.
Malt454
Well presented post. Thank you
It's worth mentioning that demanding age statements on all bottlings may be an issue for whiskies that are blended variably to achieve a particular flavor profile from batch to batch
Just got myself a bottle of Batch 50. I haven't tried A-bunadh since batch 43. I'll pop the 50 open in a bit. Excited. Thanks ralfy for your great work.
***** didn't really love it if I'm honest. The batch 43 was better. Saying that, I shared some of it with friends on Xmas day, one of them absolutely loved it. I say go for it, it's reasonably priced.
I just found batch 50 in a shitty little store..thinking of offering a Benjamin as bigger store local prices are over $110. ( Not sure what batch is in stock).
Spot on Ralfy! Your advice is a treasure! I'm listening, and I hope others are too. Thank you! Sincerely, Ossie
I wouldn't mind a fourth! ;) I tasted this for the first time 2 days ago and I really liked it! Dunno which batch it was but I was very pleased, too pleased, I had too much
Ralfy - you are a champ. A'bunadh is a favourite. Batch 18 was great and I am still on a batch 24. Here's hoping things pick up again and it is a passing phase at Aberlour. How about "Malty Mollydookers" for all us left handed scotch drinkers out there.
this one is becoming my favorite cask strength non chill filtered single malt batch 64 2020- 2021
hey ralfy - as always, great job.... I'm hanging out with batch #69 and A'bunadh is doing well....
was looking forward to both AA and various Laphroaig expressions, but if recent bottlings haven't been up to the usual standard, then they're potentially stricken from my "must buy" list. A shame because a score of 84/100 means they're probably still perfectly decent whiskies worth trying, despite having dropped in quality over the years. But it's the price point which is the issue - the inflated asking price just doesn't justify rushing out and buying a whole bottle, when the experience wouldn't be an accurate reflection of the significant amount of money invested . Luckily my local independent whisky retailer offers flights of whiskies for a minimal amount of around $15 NZ (which is a bargain), giving the opportunity to "try before you buy", and which I think would be a wise move to make in order to form an informed choice before making any purchases.
Just got a bottle of Batch 46.
I have to say this is one very nice scotch.
I’ve got a batch 46 bunkered can’t wait to open it someday soon
Introduced to this at Batch 54!
Quite good, but I cannot drink it neat. Far too sharp on the tongue. But intense nose and when added two drops of water, a lot more flavor comes through. 1 drop too little. Three drops too much.
I like this a LOT. But there is no getting tipsy off this one xD Not quite the BLAST of the GlenFarclas 15 either :D
Very sad to hear this whisky has gone downhill. Was planning to buy another bottle but will skip until their over reconditioning of casks is addressed. Perhaps I'll try picking up an older bottle at auction.
Really love this malt. I have batch 46 I believe. Great review once again!
I’ve got a batch 46 bunkered to open for a rainy day. What were your thoughts on that batch?
bummer. i guess i will hang on to my batch 45 a little while longer. hopefully they get this back to previous batches. I really enjoyed the 18 a few months back so no loss there. if anyone has tried dalwhinnie's DE can you let me know if it is worth a go? that dark blue box tempts me as i love the 15.
I’m enjoying batch 74 right now. It has a very nice caramel finish.
2012? a senior moment Ralf.
Do you think we'll ever see the Distilleries give us numpties the full info about which casks are used....it would be nice to see them think about the punters who put their hands in their pockets.
OMG : 91 in 2009 , down ot a meager 84 . . . love your videos. 2 Cheers from Canada.
My first A'Bunadh years ago was an absolute revelation with huge christmas cake aromas and chewy mouthfeel. Right now I'm sipping batch 47 and frankly this fusel filled acetonejuice is making me very aggrevated.
thanks ralfy, i totally hear you, very well put and enlightening. greatly appreciated. i was sipping my batch 48 while watching......total cyber space experiance. cheer and thanks again
Enjoying batch 49 tonight, very nice but expensive. Canada thing.
Thanks for the insightful review Ralfy..
Hope the quality picks up with following batches. Really enjoyed batch 42 myself.
Hello Ralfy! Curious on your take on which distilleries absolutely must be visited. Always appreciate your thoughts and opinions!
Springbank.
would love to see a review of the aberlour non chill-filtered version of the 12 year-old because I recently received a bottle of it as a gift.
Just about to pop open a bottle of Aberlour A'bunadh 60.1% batch 49!
First thing im noticing is the colour is VERY dark.
+TheJusnic82 49 was apperently one of the best editions of a'bunadh. gratz!
And wich is to stay away from?
love this stuff and its the kind of whisky that can turn a rum drinker into a whisy lover
Sitting on a bottle of Batch 55 here - as yet unopened - looking forward to that.
Hopefully next up is that Balblair 90 review that you promised. Got a bottle a few months ago and can't wait to hear what you think.
Batch #57 was pretty good! Had the pleasure of trying a sample of #1 too :O
Love your reviews, i've been following for more than a year now. Great stuff; keep'em comin'!
Batch No. 50: Quite OK sweet arrival but quickly turns into sharp bitter finish which I don't like. Try it with chocolate, good combination which also eliminates the bitter end.
Been researching bourbon, it seems FEW rye bourbon is as rich to other bourbons as this aberlour is compared to other scotch !
In your opinion, since the A'bunadh batches seem to be going down and down (and I don't necessarily disagree with you), is there an equally good "Sherry Monster" out there? A'bunadh always filled the void for an especially syrupy, sweet, wine-y powerhouse of whisky in my collection.
my guess is that new batches have more refill butts, refilled with fresh sherry to wet the cask and get more flavour and colour in there, just my speculation^^. also old batches had up to 20 year old whisky in there (acording to old whisky magazines), this information never reappeared.
Where ever you throw, it will stand.~~~ I like the Aberlour, particularly because it's a wee bit young---Fiesty~ good color, not sure what my batch# is-.. over all i'd give it an 84 as well. A good Sherry Bomb. Worth Buying and Trying. I purchased at 80usd Feb 21 a bit higher abv @ 61%.
Wow, poured myself a dram before looking to see what you reviewed and completely by coincidence, my dram was an Aberlour A'bunadh! Batch 31 though. Perhaps a better one.
a better one for sure !
I understand when you say you're almost afraid to buy a bottle of Quarter Cask. The QC was a fine representation of the "marriage of smoke and oak" but I honestly find Laphroaig 10 to be more complex and appealing for the price point. As for the 1998 independent bottling of Laphroaig? Light years ahead of what is currently being produced.
Ralfy, I could not help myself but nab the last bottle of batch 50 that was on my grocer's shelf. I don't know that I'll drink it anytime soon but it certainly is pretty sitting on the shelf! However, all of the floaty bits I see in the bottle, I can be assured they're quite normal and part of the cask?
I completely agree with this vlog. I had a bottle of Aberlour A'bunadh batch
Hey Ralfy - If you had to choose, would you rather have mediocre new make in fantastic casks, or fantastic new make in mediocre casks?
I am wondering if another re-review of this whisky is possible to happen. I was just given batch 66 and I have to said I'm very satisfied.... but I'm just an amateur ;)
. . . It has improved a lot recently.
Sad to see the Malt Marks plunging, on a whisky I have always really liked, Thanks for the review, Ralfy.
Here's my top 5 scotch single malt under 100$CAN; not in order:
-Abelour 16 -Benriach 12sherry -Glengoyne 17
-Glendronach 15and12 -Arran 10
Great Review Ralfy. 5stars!!! Thanks.
I used to always keep a reserve stock of 1 bottle of each of: Ardbeg Uigeadail, Aberlour a'Bunadh and Glendronach 15yo Revival. Already dropped the Uigeadail this year. I hope I won't have to drop the other two... Just bought today a bottle of the Bunnahabhain Eirigh Na Greine. I wonder how that is. Ralfy, did you happen to get a taste of it?
mmm what a great tasting whisky...for me I get a strong taste of Brandy in this and I used to love drinking Brandy before switching to whisky so this is the best of both worlds...deff a whisky I will buy again...
I would score this a lot higher then you did, but that being said ive never had the chance to try the lower batch numbers
I think a possible reason why all the re reviews ive seen you do have always resulted in a lower malt mark, could be because you have tasted it once, and when tasting and criticizing it for the second time your expectations will always be higher then the original.
It would be interesting to see you do a blind taste test of a 10's batch to a 40's batch....or a do a blind taste test of older whiskys compared to the same whisky but made presently.....Something tells me we would get some pretty interesting results :)
I think single malt scotch distillers should only be able by law to fill a cask no more than two times
Hey Ralfy, longtime malt-mate, first time cask-commenter (...eh, worth a try.)
I've been looking into expanding my palate to a good malt blend, and the only option I have is Compass box Spice Tree. I was wondering what your opinion was in short, as $65 is a bit more than I would pay for a whisky I haven't tried before.
Thank you so much for all the informative, important videos you've done!
Well this is serendipitous, you answered my question at the very end of the video. I Thank you again good sir!
I found out my great grand father before he immigrated to Canada used to work for Aberlour late 1800's to early 1900's part of his pay was 2 drams a day. he gave that portion to his mother for medical purposes. I love the A'bunadh and the 18yr.
redeyeracing2 lol im sure anyone who works at a whisky distillery is going to take more then 2 drams a day :)
Most worksites get 2 breaks and a lunch....so 3 drams at least :)
true! employee discount plays here as well i'm sure.
Cheers from Southern California!!!! Thanks for the maltainment!
Ralfy, Perhaps you could find time to review Glenfarclas 105 (10 yr), which seems to be a direct competitor to A'bunadh. Where I'm at the 105 is much more affordable, so it would be interesting to see how it compares in your opinion.
+M454
spot on.
Sounds a little FIFA-esque that too is a story for the ages (and world football)
Enjoying some Batch 62 while watching this. Definitely not mind-blowing but pretty solid. The fact that it is cask strength and non-chill filtered makes me at least sort of feel like I'm getting my money's worth for $70.
$70? You must be in the US. Here in Canada that is $139.99 a bottle.
@@RichardT2112 yeah today it is apparently $99.99 in the U.S. from what I can see
@@conservativeeconomist9141 ok,I don’t feel too bad then. Still sickening how much the price has gone up. My go to “sipping scotch” for lack of a better word (Macallan 12) went from $85 to $115 a bottle in about 1.5 years. Sadly my paycheque hasn’t seen a similar increase.
I just purchased a bottle of batch #47. It is really good. I can't help but notice a similarity to a good rye whiskey. Earthy and Grassy/ sherried. Anyone else see the similarity? I do think it is different than earlier batches. I will not buy this one again as American Rye' s offer much more for much less.
One of the most insightful whiskey reviews I have everseen. Makes a lot of sense. The producers are always pressured to make more profit. The whiskey drinkers are wanting the best quality. There is a constant tug of war between the two. In a perfect world profit would be abolished. Hopefully the producers are watching and following Ralfys reviews to keep them all in check to produce a quality product for the masses and the average working Joe. Thank you Ralfy for your efforts and insightful reviews!
Hi Ralfy. Great video as usual. I have only recently (12 months) got into whisky and with your help i have a decent collection which i really enjoy tasting the different flavours. I enjoy my A'bunadh 48 for example. However, i hear a lot of your reviews talk about the quality decreasing, are there any scotch single malts increasing in quality? Also, any plans to review Glengoyne 21? i picked up a bottle recently and would like to hear your throughts on that and Sullivans Cove from Aus.
Keep up the good work......a Mancunian in Canada
Hel Ralfy, how about a re-review of the Bruchladdich 10 and the Glendronach 15. It would be interesting to know if the quality is still there.
Do you think it would be possible to use inner staves to finish a whisky if the whisky was first aged in oak barrels? For instance, whisky is aged for 8 years in oak barrels, then it is transferred to barrels with inner staves for 4 more years. When it is sold, it states "8 years old", so that no "aging" took place in the barrels with inner staves?
I guess it depends on the definition of "aging" and "maturation" in the code.
According to serge, this was an iffy batch, #47 and #49 were much better 50# was also dodgy. I just opened my bottle of #51 and it's a return to form.
A'bunadh used to be my favorite scotch. It has dropped in stature for the past two years, continuously. Sad.
Batch 45 was outstanding - this is well chronicled. I have five bottles in reserve. Tried Batch 46 today - meh, not great - the young whisky showed through, the finish was rough, and the sherry not pronounced on the nose nor the finish. Batch 44 was good (45 better), and Ralfy rated Batch 42 an 89. SO - the decline you refer to IMHO is post batch 46 at a minimum. I will admit the best of the 30's batches were on average better than the 40's - with Batch 45 being an exception and the oddball - it is as good as anything in the 30's batches. So over all a steady downward trend over the years... but a sharp apparent drop starting with Batch 46....
Now - I have not tried 47 - but have read a couple of reviews that said it was good... which would put a damper on your assertion, and Ralfy's premise in this review. If Batch 47 turns out great, then, we could only conclude that 46 and 48 was a bad batch.
Ralfy: What are your thoughts on the current state of casks, 5.5 years later, in 2020?
. . . more inferior casks around as demand outstrips supply !
just got a bottle of batch 64 andi gotta say its fantastic.
One of my all time favorites. Ouch. Thanks for the review ralfy. I loved batch 37 I bought multiple bottles of it at the time. A few years later I bought it again (2012?) this time batch early 41 or 42. It had a slight "sulfur" smell/flavor to it that I did not enjoy. I've been waiting for a good batch to come out for sometime now.. It's too bad about batch 48. Ralfy is there any other scotch out there that is near the same flavor profile as the a'bunadh? Cask strength, spice, cinnamon, sherry?
The list of cask strength whiskies is short, and even shorter for cask strength sherry bombs like the A'bunadh... one option is the Glenfarclas 105. I have a bottle of that, but I prefer my Batch 45 Abunadh over it... for me the 105 has never opened up, and it seems water brings it more out of balance... heavy alchohol finish no matter what. NOW, some people love the 105...so, there it is.
Other cask strength to consider - Glenlivet Nadurra, Laphroaig CaskStrength (though a peat bomb)...
All the whiskies mentioned so far in this reply are ALL non-chill filtered also - and all are in the Abunadh price range.
I have a batch 40 that I paid $49 for and its a touch raw/sour, but nothing I'd light on fire or cry about. Even still, for another $30 Mac Cask walks all over it and twice on Sunday...if you can find one.
Hi, RalfyCould you imagine to use inner staves that have been soaked in sherry (or the like) to boost lets say 3rd and 4th fill sherry casks. Knowing that a lot of sherry is used primarily to prepare sherry casks for the whisky industry before being destilled into brandy it seems like a reasonable solution. Or.....?
Still enjoying my Batch 36 :)
One question - there are a lot of positive reviews on the net about Batch 45 (I actually own three bottles still). Are the ratings / reviews of Batch 45 over-done, or did all these points about poorer casks, less maturation / aging, and hence a decline in quality happen AFTER Batch 45?? Just wondering others opinions...
Hi, Ralfy. Just have a dram of batch 59 in front of me, love to get ur feedback on this maltster.
For those who may not be aware - there's a non-chill filtered version of the 12 yr Aberlour available.
IMHO - it's better than the A'bunadh, and it's roughly $10 to $15 cheaper.
Yes, aware, thanks. Better than A'bunadh? Well, depends on the Batch# and palate, IMHO. Is the 12yr you refer to better than Batch 45? I have had them both, and NO way, Batch 45 is better. Is the 12 yr, non-chill better than Batch 48 that Ralfy reviewed? Probably.
Malty Mucker I really enjoy the 12 yr non-chill filtered since the consistency (so far I've enjoyed 3 bottles in about 2 years) is very good which is something that the A'bunadh seems to lack.
As for batches - what's the availability of 'batch 45' today?
I don't mean to knock the A'bunadh - just that the quality seems to vary considerably - however we consumers continue to pay a premium for it.
FMichael1970 Yes, good point on consistency. However, Batch 45 is much easier for ME to get today than the 12 YO NCF Aberlour - I have been wanting to buy the 12 YO NCF for quite some time after trying it at a friends house, but sadly it is never stocked locally. Then, the Abunadh is $57.99 locally for me, where for the 12 NCF, shipping, etc makes it more.
Availability of 45? I know two places within 10 miles of my house right now that have a total of 12 bottles of Batch 45's available...two at one place and TEN at another... so it's still around. I now own four bottles of Batch 45, with one open. (bought another yesterday).
On the flipside - there is NO WHEREI know locally I can purchase the 12 YO Aberlour non-chill filtered... I would love to buy it but can't...
BTW - I am tempted to buy the 12 bottles of Batch 45 sitting on the shelves locally and sit on them. I LOVE Batch 45... it is well balanced, yet powerful. And with the rumor that Abunadh is on wobbly legs with this latest Batch... you get it,
Oh, and did I say that Batch 45 is better than the 12 YO for my tastes... I have tried both side by side on three occasions now, and all present agreed.
Have you tried the newly released The Balvenie 15 Sherry Cask? I just got a bottle here in the US and I'm enjoying it. Thanks for all your great reviews. My only complaint is that I can't find all the suggested single malts where I live.
Have heard some good stuff about batch #52 and just picked up a bottle. $100 here in CA and on sale at The Drink Shop for
I'm in SoCal. $69 at Total Wine or Hi Time. I also have batch 52, although 53 is out around here.
Another great assessment my friend!