Aberfeldy whiskey: history, overview of taste and types
Aberfeldy is a wonderful, buttery, fruity and honey scotch produced in the heart of Scotland - in the vicinity of Perth.
For more than a hundred years, malt has been the basis of John Dewar's blends & Sons".
The unique drink, which has won numerous international awards, is available not only in blends, but also in a single version.
The history of the brand
The Aberfedley Distillery was opened by brothers John and Tom Duars in 1898 on the south bank of the River Tay in the highlands of Perthshire. The building was designed by the famous architect Charles Doig.
The owners began to use the spirits produced at the distillery to create Dewar's Blended Whisky and other blends. The company started producing single malt much later.
The distillery got its name from the village of Aberfeldy, on the eastern outskirts of which it was built. The area attracted the brothers with a clean source of fresh water "Pitilie Burn", which had not been used in whiskey production before, and well-developed transportation links.
It is also known that the founder of the company, John Duar Sr. was born nearby. The region is also famous for other attractions: the beautiful Loch Tay and Loch Tammel lakes, the ancient Kenmore Bridge.
During the twentieth century, the company was closed twice due to a shortage of barley - during the First and Second World Wars.
In the 70s, the distillery was expanded: old stills were replaced with new ones, and production capacity was increased.
The Aberfeldy brand was first introduced to the consumer in 1999 with a 12-year-old single malt scotch.
In the 2000s, the line was expanded with several more aged molts. Today the distillery is owned by Bacardi.
Types of Aberfeldy whiskey
The legendary single malt is produced in four main versions:
Aberfeldy 12 Years
The titled amber-honey drink with notes of spices, vanilla and smoke.
Aberfeldy 16 Years
Aged scotch with fruitcake and chocolate flavors, rich, rich finish.
Aberfeldy 20 Years
"Golden Sip". A line of exclusive scotches produced in limited batches. It includes three collections: "cask bottlings", "double-cask" and "small batch releases".
Each batch is matured in a certain way in different types of containers and has its own flavor shades. Special barrels are selected by the master blender.
You can recognize exceptional drinks by the white label (the rest of the brand's scotches have a black label).
Main notes: spices, honey, grapes, heather, coconut, smoke.
Aberfeldy 21 Years
Multi-layered, aromatic whiskey with a honey-creamy texture. The nose is dominated by notes of dried fruit, heather flowers, and roasted coconut.
At the distillery itself, you can buy malt from different years of release of the "single cask" category.
Drinks of increased strength (55%) are aged in one type of barrels - American oak containers.
Everyone has their own taste: with a predominance of nutty, smoky, fruity, vanilla, caramel or oak tones.
Update: 02.05.2019
Category: Whiskey and Bourbon