Aberfeldy 18-year-old Finished in Tuscan Red Wine Casks / 43% / 0.7l

The village of Aberfeldy lies on the south bank of the River Tay. The distillery bearing its name was built between 1896 and 1898 by John Dewar & Sons, and several of the original buildings are still in use today.

Today, the two-pair still produces 3.4 million litres of distillate annually. Aberfeldy remains a key component of Dewar's blends in the new century, but recently Bacardi Ltd. (owner of the distillery since 1998) has been investing more and more money in promoting the single malt, and blender Stephanie MacLeod has been experimenting a lot with finishing in wine barrels. The Aberfeldy 18 year old presented here, originally aged in refill barrels, was finished in Tuscan Bolgheri barrels (the wine is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc).

Aroma: fruity with a subtle spiciness, black cherry jam, raspberries, coffee beans, honey, vanilla, marzipan, cinnamon, a pinch of pepper and light oak tones.

Palate: cherries, blackberries, lime jam, honey, milk chocolate, almond croissant, coconut flakes, green pepper, a dash of allspice and toasted oak.

Finish : medium long, with notes of cherries and plums, milk chocolate, honey, a touch of pepper, ginger and oak.