Aberlour a'bunadh

[Megawatt]

As I think of what to ask my wife for for Christmas, and I keep seeing this single malt popping up everywhere. I haven't heard of a single person who doesn't like it; in fact, many think it's one of the best they have tried. At $86 it's not cheap, but the high proof means that it should, in theory, last longer anyway. I'm just wondering if this stuff is as good as they say. And why no age statement? Is it typical for cask-strength Scotches to be a bit younger than other similarly-priced single malts?

The other Scotches I'm considering are Highland Park 12 and The Balvenie 12 Doublewood. Both of these are considerably cheaper and would leave me room to also ask for some clothes or maybe another bottle of something else. But I may not get another chance to try the a-bunadh for quite a while, as it is out of my normal budget...

[Vange]

$86?? Wow, I get it for $50-$60. Balvenie Doublewood is a very nice scotch as is HP 12 (although HP 18 is heads and shoulders better IMO).

AA is a HEAVILY sherried (100% sherry cask aging if I am not mistaken) and a thick, creamy, intense single malt. Little to no peat taste. It is VERY good if that is your thing. If you do not like sherry caskings and prefer Islays I might let it be.
It is one of my favorites in the $50-$60 range. For $86 though I might go looking for a Balvenie portwood 21, I occasionally find the older packaged ones for $80-$90.

Hope this helps!

[chouffe62]

The Aberlour a'bunadh is a gorgeous, complex whisky. I love the Highland Park and Balvenie, but I would choose the Aberlour; it's like a meal in itself.

But at $86, ouch! That seems mighty steep for the Aberlour. It's around $53.99 where I live.

The Highland Park 12 and Balvenie Doublewood go for around $30-32 here. If that price is comparable to where you live, I think I would save a few dollars and go with one of them (or both). I agree with Vange though; if you can find a Highland 18 (usually around $60) go with that. It is indeed heads-and-shoulders above the HP 12 and Doublewood.

[mier]

A`bunadh is a nice whisky but the price is just too high,you have a nice Highland park 18yo(my recommadation) for that and some more.An age statement isn`t obligatory,a lot regular single malts don`t have it either,all European whiskies have to mature for at least 3 years to call it whisky.Blends with an agestatement give the youngest whisky in the blend but can hold some 20yo whisky as well.But we all can give you advice,it`s you that decide and whatever that is i hope you like it.CHEERS!
Eric.

[Sijan]

It is 59.99 at Binny's. http://www.binnys.com/search/spirits...otext=aberlour

I think I've seen it as low as $50ish around here.

[Megawatt]

To give you some perspective:

Highland 12: $53
Balvenie 12: $58
Highland 18: $117
Balvenie 21: $175

Given that price range, does the Aberlour still seem unreasonable? I'm hesitant about importing liqour from the US. Shipping, duty and brokerage would probably make up for the lower price anyway...

I live in Canada, and evidently us Canadians pay more for Scotch and bourbon than you yanks would ever dream of.

[Vange]

$86 Canadian dollars or USD for AA?

[chouffe62]

Eighty six dollars CDN still equates to $80-81 USD; so yes, it still appears unreasonable. Unfortunately, the LCBO is not exactly known for their bargains. Then again...

I stopped into a LCBO with a Vintages in Kingston about two years ago and saw a Macallan 18 for $259. The manager standing next to me must have noticed my surprise because she chuckled and said, "you're not in the States anymore sir!"

Funny thing though; I found three Balvenie 25-Year-Old Single Barrel at $179 each, not more than five feet away. I also found Rochefort 8 at $3.10 a bottle. I left Canada that day with all three of the Balvenie and four 24 bottle cases of Rochefort 8 ( two in Kingston, two in Brockville). No taxes, no duty, and about $1.20 CDN on the USD. So, I suppose sometimes you just can't tell...

I would suggest perusing the LCBO website and doing product searches for items of interest to you. It appears their price scale fluctuates quite a bit and you just might come across a gem at a decent price. Best of luck to you!

[Frodo]

OK, here's a dissenting voice. I tried the Abelour CS a couple of times because of all the buzz. Mostly what I got was whisky flavoured sherry. I must confess that I prefer bourbon casked scotch because it is easier to discern the distillery character from these bottlings. If you like sherried drams like Balvenie Doublewood and Macallan, perhaps this would be a next step for you.

Balvenie DW is a favourite budget dram of mine where the sherry influance is more measured. Highland Park 12 is a great "all-rounder" IMHO - hard to go wrong on this one.

Here's my last word. HP 12 and Balvenie DW are both solid workmanlike drams that appeal to a great many people. Neither would be put on a pedestal. The Abelour on the other hand, many people consider this to be a work of art. Get ready for lots of sherry influance in this one!

[TNbourbon]

I'm sorta between Vange and Frodo: I like the A'Bunadh, but I think I'd like it better with the sherry tamped down a bit. But, that's what it is -- a sherried malt.
I have a Batch #8 and #16 open, and #9 and #14 shelved. I might pay a bit of a premium for an older batch I might not otherwise see, but those prices are too high generally. The Highland Park 12 shouldn't be over $40-$45 anywhere, I'd think. But, if the AA is that much cheaper than HP18, seems like a no-brainer to me -- get the Aberlour.