Here we have a well-aged Aberlour from Decadent Drinks. The whimsical Whisky Sponge combined a pair of refill hogsheads from 1989 and 1991 for this release. Aberlour is not a distillery I review often, in fact I have only reviewed it 12 times (including the two this week) in the last seven years and most of those came in 2021-2022— so it has been a while! My favorites frequently remind me of Redwall or Mouse Guard; a society of field mice living in an old stone wall along a spring meadow brewing beer and making pastries— on my least favorites, some of those spring flowers have turned downright soapy

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Whisky: Aberlour 33 Year (1989/1991), Whisky Sponge No. 92

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 49.7%

Cask: Refill Hogshead

Age: 33 Years (Distilled 1989/1991, Bottled 2024)

Notes: Buttery sable cookies and lemon curd— a dessert pairing I enjoyed the night before sitting with this each time, so no wonder it came to mind right away. The aroma was soft and gentle with green grass and notions of spring scattered with the buttery pastries and a touch of clay. It was all mellow and shot with a haze filter as a meadow candy store located in an old woody stump opened to cream-flavored gummies, tangerines, and a handful of burdock sweets. Medium-bodied and a bit syrupy, the flavor profile featured waxy honeycomb along similar spring-like meadow notes of grass, florals, and gentle wood. Lemon curd and buttery shortbread paired with honey suckle, herbal chamomile tea, and a hint of lemongrass soda toward the end. The finish was long and sweet with honey, biscuits, butter, and a kiss of peppery oak.

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Score: 7 (83)

Mental Image: Mouse’s Meadowland Candy Emporium

Conclusion: Beautiful stuff— if not rather decadent at times as butter and honey collided on a fine piece of toast. It was a touch sweet for my taste, and while it had a great clarity of flavor, I thought it was rather simple (and simple malts work best when the immediate, strong flavors tickle your particular fancy— so your mileage will vary here). The mouthfeel was impressive with an occasional burst of sweet effervescence out of the crisp citrus. Though I did not find it as waxy as some, it had a wonderful heft to it, and the finish was particularly long and enjoyable. At times it reminded me of the well-aged Burnside (Balvenie) that have come out in recent years.

Image Credit: Decadent Drinks