Whisky: Aberfeldy 18 Year (1997), Cadenhead’s

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 56.4%

Cask: Bourbon Hogshead

Age: 18 Year (Distilled 1997, Bottled 2015)

Nose: Mellow and light with dried grass, pressed florals, and malty biscuits. Tangerines, mandarin oranges, and tea cookies came together as subtle fruit joined with malty pastries. The grassy aroma occasionally appeared as cotton yarn and felt fabric, bringing to mind local craft shops with basal wood, straw, and liquid cement. Water accentuated the grassy-sugary quality of the spirit.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a lovely viscosity and a big herbal grassy profile. Herbal notes of rooibos tea and honeyed chamomile developed a creamy-buttery texture with a few drops of water. An underlying maltiness offered orange biscuits and cream with hints of ginger and tangerine—a touch of prickly spirited heat at the end with a sweet dandelion green.

Finish: Lingering dry citrus and malt.

Score: 6

Mental Image: Mouse King’s Private Dandelion Wine Reserve

Notes: A big cheers to my buddy Scotch&Sheen for sharing this dram with me.  I initially tasted it blind and guessed it was a 12-year Linkwood matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead.  I thought the grassy elements of the palate and the subtle fruit notes reminded me of Linkwood’s subtle side— since I have never had an Aberfeldy (or never take notes on one, I should say), I am not surprised I whiffed on my guess.

Bright and pleasant with lovely underlying citrus and malty elements, I can see why Scotch&Sheen described it as “delightful whisky.”  I did not mind the bit of prickly spirit that appeared between grassy sweetness and hints of craft and hobby store paraphernalia.  It was not the most complex dram, but it was pleasant and easy to sip.  A few drops of water tamed the hint of heat and brought out an underlying buttery-creamy quality to the spirit, which paired nicely with the citrus and malt.  An ideal summer sipper, perhaps something to relax with and unwind after a long day.

Image Credit: Scotch & Sheen