Megawatt Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vange Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 $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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chouffe62 Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mier Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sijan Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 It is 59.99 at Binny's. http://www.binnys.com/search/spiritsearch.cfm?advs=2&ptid=2&astxt=aberlour&otext=aberlourI think I've seen it as low as $50ish around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megawatt Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 To give you some perspective:Highland 12: $53Balvenie 12: $58Highland 18: $117Balvenie 21: $175Given 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vange Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 $86 Canadian dollars or USD for AA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chouffe62 Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megawatt Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 Great, now every time I go to the LCBO for Scotch I will feel like I'm getting ripped off. Especially with the high Canadian dollar...worth $1.10 USD! I have a bottle of Aberlour 12 Double Cask Matured, and I find it to be decent, but yeah, a little heavy on the sherry. I think I liked the Balvenie Doublewood better. Is this an indication that the a'bunadh might not be for me? Regarding price, you must understand what we are forced to pay in Ontario. Knob Creek goes for $46. The cheapest single malt I have seen here is Glenlivit 12 ($43). Only Canadian whisky is reasonably priced. It sucks, but what can I do, other than simply not drink the good stuff? On the other hand, I hear that Americans pay a lot for weed, so maybe it all equals out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vange Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 I have a bottle of Aberlour 12 Double Cask Matured, and I find it to be decent, but yeah, a little heavy on the sherry. I think I liked the Balvenie Doublewood better. Is this an indication that the a'bunadh might not be for me? Based on this statement, AA is probably not your best bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drrich1965 Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Based on this statement, AA is probably not your best bet.Agreed. AA is a sherry monster, which is one reason I am not a huge fan. I much prefer malts that are balanced between multiple elements, malt and peat, peat and sherry, malt and oak, ect.When I like malts when one element predominates, it is peat OR malt, but not Sherry.AA is certainly a high quality sherried malt- which I cannot say for the current Macallan 12..very sappy and grappy to me..For something a bit more balanced, and cheaper, may I suggest the Glenfarclas 12..good solid sherry, but with a malty center, a hint of oak, and just a hint of peat smoke (not medicinal)...very nice, and often as cheap as $35 (on sale in our ABC store for $30, if I was not restricted from buying for a few weeks, I would have picked one up). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 I have a bottle of Aberlour 12 Double Cask Matured, and I find it to be decent, but yeah, a little heavy on the sherry. I think I liked the Balvenie Doublewood better. Is this an indication that the a'bunadh might not be for me?If you find ANYTHING too sherried perhaps the A'bunadh may not be for you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrispyCritter Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 I've loved the A'Bunadh bottles I've had - but they are definitely "sherry bombs" that some might not like. As for the lack of an age statement, that was intentional on Aberlour's part, as it lets them vat young and old barrels - and whenever I've had a bottle open, I've never been disappointed.Aside from drinking it as is, it's also interesting for vatting with other whiskies - once, I had just half a pour left in a bottle of A'Bunadh, so I vatted it half-and-half with some Buffalo Trace. The result was lovely in its own right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchshrader Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 hate to dissent.. but i bought two bottles, and happily traded the 2nd away. unhappily drank my way, grumbling, through the first. it tastes GREAT at the first sip. it tastes IDENTICAL at every other sip. the least variation in taste i ever met in a malt, as one dimensional as a photograph. it made me angry and resentful and i didn't EVER want any more. it needed another 8 years in the barrel, no caramel coloring, and cask strength at 53% alcohol.. not 60%. THEN it would have been good whisky. For the same price, buy Macallan Cask Strength and get what you're paying for. IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megawatt Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 hate to dissent.. but i bought two bottles, and happily traded the 2nd away. unhappily drank my way, grumbling, through the first. it tastes GREAT at the first sip. it tastes IDENTICAL at every other sip. the least variation in taste i ever met in a malt, as one dimensional as a photograph. it made me angry and resentful and i didn't EVER want any more. it needed another 8 years in the barrel, no caramel coloring, and cask strength at 53% alcohol.. not 60%. THEN it would have been good whisky. For the same price, buy Macallan Cask Strength and get what you're paying for. IMO. I thought it was uncoloured. And if it tasted great on the first sip, what were you hoping for with subsequent sips? For it to suddenly taste like piss? I for one like some consistency in my whisky, which to me is not the same as one-dimensional flavour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jinenjo Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I think it was on the whiskymag forum that people raved about batch #14. I've only tasted AA from what a friend gave to me (#16 or 18 IIRC), and it was dram good . Has anyone tried the latest batch. Number #19? I've been thinking of buying some. By the way, I recently purchased the Aberlour 12yo Double Matured, and find it to be delicious the more and more I take a pour. I think the past two years of bourbon drinking has swung me over to the sweeter side of scotch whisky. Lately, I am not as enthusiastic about peated malts or even unsherried malts. But then again, it often depends upon my mood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorvallisCracker Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I think it was on the whiskymag forum that people raved about batch #14. I've only tasted AA from what a friend gave to me (#16 or 18 IIRC), and it was dram good .Has anyone tried the latest batch. Number #19? I've been thinking of buying some. By the way, I recently purchased the Aberlour 12yo Double Matured, and find it to be delicious the more and more I take a pour. I think the past two years of bourbon drinking has swung me over to the sweeter side of scotch whisky. Lately, I am not as enthusiastic about peated malts or even unsherried malts. But then again, it often depends upon my mood. When I looked at the whiskymag forum, about two months ago, it was batch #20 they were raving about, saying it was the best in quite a while. Unfortunately, no batch #20 ever arrived at the OLCC (OR Liquor Control Commis.) warehouse, or I would have bought a bottle to replace my bottle of #18, once it expires. Batch #18 is not considered one of the better ones, but my Scotch drinking guests have liked it well enough to ask for seconds. I've tried it and it seems pretty good to me (well, for Scotch...) I've heard that batch #22 is already out. On local store shelves one can find batch #18, #19 and #21 (I've read that #21 is the best of these). I also know of one dusty box of #14. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNbourbon Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I have #14 and #9 on the shelf, and #8 and #16 open. Bottom line, they're all pretty good. And, looks like bourbon!..:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gov Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I have been enjoying batch #21 this week. It is some good sh**!!!! It will put hair on your chest!! Aberlour is an excellent whisky period! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spun_cookie Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 The favorite one I have on my shelf... and i have some graet scotches on my shelf... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jinenjo Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 The favorite one I have on my shelf... and i have some graet scotches on my shelf...Which one is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spun_cookie Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Which one is it?Good point... Aberlour a'bunadh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob O. Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Good point... Aberlour a'bunadhI believe he might be asking which Batch you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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