Aberfeldy 12 years old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%

On the banks of the Pitilie Burn, where people still crouch down and wash the gravel looking for gold, sits a distillery that has been making honeyed malt since 1898. Aberfeldy calls its whisky the Golden Dram. The colour is only half of what they mean.

Expert description

Aberfeldy 12 Year Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American oak ex-bourbon casks alongside refill, re-char and sherry casks, bottled at 40%. It anchors the core range and is almost always the first Aberfeldy anyone tastes.

The distillery stands in Perthshire, just outside the town of Aberfeldy. John Alexander and Tommy Dewar started building it in 1896, barely a few kilometres from where their father was born, and spirit was running by 1898. The plan was never modest: Aberfeldy would supply the heart malt for the blends that John Dewar & Sons built its name on. That job never went away, which is why it took surprisingly long for the single malt to get proper attention in its own right.

The barley malt is unpeated, so there is no smoke here at all. The spirit runs through two wash stills and two spirit stills, double distilled, then spends twelve years in wood. American oak from the bourbon industry supplies vanilla, coconut and the pale honey note Aberfeldy is known for. The sherry casks lay dried fruit and a little spice over the top. Re-char casks are older casks burnt out again on the inside, and they pull the sweetness back up without making the whisky heavy.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale heather honey and vanilla arrive first, then peeled green apple and pear. Behind that sits a dry toasted note, roughly like toast pulled a moment before it turns too dark, and a lift of orange peel.

Palate

Soft and round without going slack. Honey and malt carry the whole thing, orange and pear keep it fresh, and a light cinnamon spice arrives in the second half. At 40% it is mild, but it is not thin.

Finish

Medium length. The honey hangs on, the spice ebbs away slowly, and a dry malty note is the last thing left.

Specifications

Name: Aberfeldy 12 Year Old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Aberfeldy
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak ex-bourbon casks, refill casks, re-char casks and sherry casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
EAN no.: 5000277000982

Flavour profile

Honey · Fruity · Malty · Soft · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

The Pitilie Burn that feeds the distillery genuinely carries gold. People still pan the gravel along its banks, and Aberfeldy has spent years using that gold as the image for what ends up in the bottle.

Browse our full range of Aberfeldy

Frequently asked questions about Aberfeldy 12 Year Old

What does Aberfeldy 12 Year Old taste like?

Honey and malt above everything else. Green apple, pear and orange sit on top, and a light cinnamon spice builds towards the end. It is a soft, rounded whisky with no sharp edges, and the finish is medium and dry.

Is Aberfeldy 12 Year Old peated?

No. Aberfeldy uses unpeated barley malt, so there is no smoke in the whisky whatsoever. If you want bonfires and seaweed you need to look somewhere else entirely. This is the soft, honeyed end of the scale.

Is Aberfeldy 12 Year Old a good whisky for beginners?

Yes, it is one of the easiest places to begin. The 40% keeps it mild, the sweetness is easy to like, and there is no smoke or heavy sherry to put anyone off. It still has enough going on that you will not get bored of it.

Which glass suits Aberfeldy 12 Year Old best?

A tulip-shaped one. The honey and fruit notes are light and disappear quickly in a wide tumbler, while the narrow opening on a Glencairn whisky glass keeps them together. The difference is bigger than most people expect.

Should you add water or ice to Aberfeldy 12 Year Old?

Try it neat first. At 40% there is not much alcohol to tame, and a few drops of water can flatten it. Ice cools the fruit notes down and shuts the honey away, so save that for hot days when you want refreshment rather than nuance.

What sets Aberfeldy apart from other Highland whiskies?

The honey. The region covers an enormous area and runs from dry and coastal to heavy sherry styles, which you can see across our range of Highland Whisky. Aberfeldy sits at the soft, sweet end and is one of the most recognisable examples of it.

What food goes with Aberfeldy 12 Year Old?

Something sweet with a bit of fat in it. Apple tart, caramelised nuts or a mature cheddar all work. With cheese, go for the nutty kind rather than the sharp kind, or the cheese will bury the fruit notes.

Does Aberfeldy 12 Year Old make a good gift?

Yes, particularly when you do not know exactly what the recipient likes. It is mild enough for a beginner and well made enough for an experienced drinker, and it does not divide opinion the way a heavily peated whisky does. The gold label does no harm either.