Aberfeldy Pitilie 9 years old Dram Mor Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 54,8%

The label does not say Aberfeldy. It says Pitilie, the name of the burn running past the distillery, and that is the kind of cover name independent bottlers use when a distillery would rather not see its own name on a bottle it did not fill itself.

Expert description

Aberfeldy Pitilie 9 Year Old from Dràm Mòr is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in a 1st fill Buffalo Trace barrel and bottled at cask strength 54.8%. It was distilled in 2015, bottled in 2024 as part of the Dràm Mòr spring releases and came out at 240 bottles from cask number 247.

Dràm Mòr is run out of Dumbarton by husband and wife Kenny and Viktorija Macdonald. They began as an export agency for Scottish brands and only moved properly into bottling at the end of 2019. The approach is straightforward: single casks, cask strength, no chill filtration and no added colour. You get the cask as it stood, with nobody tidying it up along the way.

The spirit comes from Aberfeldy in Perthshire, where the barley malt is unpeated and the stills run twice, so there is no smoke in this at all. Nine years is young for a Highland malt, but the finish in a 1st fill Buffalo Trace barrel does a lot of the work. American oak straight out of bourbon service is far more active than a cask on its third or fourth outing, and it pulls the whisky towards something creamy and sweet rather than sharp and youthful.

Tasting notes

Nose

Chewy caramel and vanilla first, opening slowly onto ripe peach flesh and old-fashioned wine gums.

Palate

The caramel carries on and turns sweet and creamy. Butterscotch and syrup sponge with a velvety custard laid over the top. There is power behind the 54.8%, but it does not bite.

Finish

Delicate and lingering. The layers melt together and settle softly rather than snapping shut.

Specifications

Name: Aberfeldy Pitilie 9 Year Old Dràm Mòr Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 54.8%
Distillery: Aberfeldy
Bottler: Dràm Mòr
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 54.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in a 1st fill Buffalo Trace barrel
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 2015
Bottled: 2024
Number of bottles: 240
Edition: Single Cask, cask number 247

Flavour profile

Caramel · Vanilla · Peach · Creamy · Cask strength

Did you know?

Dràm Mòr did not start out as a bottler at all. Kenny and Viktorija Macdonald spent years running an export agency for Scottish brands, and it was only in 2019 that the company changed its name and began buying and bottling casks itself.

Browse our full range of Aberfeldy

Frequently asked questions about Aberfeldy Pitilie 9 Year Old Dràm Mòr

Why does the bottle say Pitilie and not Aberfeldy?

Because the distillery has not licensed its name. Pitilie is the burn Aberfeldy draws its water from, and independent bottlers use cover names like this when they buy casks from distilleries that want to control their own brand. The liquid is still Aberfeldy.

What does it taste like?

Sweet and creamy. Caramel and vanilla dominate, with ripe peach and a butterscotch weight through the middle. The finish is soft and holds on for a while, and despite the 54.8% it does not burn.

What does cask strength actually mean?

That the whisky is bottled straight from the cask without being reduced to 40 or 46%. You get more flavour per dram and you control the strength yourself with water. It also means every bottling carries its own figure, here 54.8%.

What does a Buffalo Trace barrel do to the whisky?

It lays on a thick coat of vanilla and caramel. The barrel is 1st fill, meaning it has only held bourbon before this whisky, and American oak in that state is far more active than a cask used several times. That is why nine years tastes more mature than the number suggests.

Should I add water?

Yes, give it a try. Taste it neat first, then add a couple of drops at a time. At 54.8% water usually opens the peach notes and sharpens the vanilla while the caramel loses some of its stickiness. Ice is a poor idea here, it shuts everything down.

Which glass works best?

A tulip shape with a narrow opening, for example a Glencairn whisky glass. At cask strength the alcohol is strong on the nose, and a glass that gathers the aroma makes it easier to find the fruit behind it.

Who are Dràm Mòr?

An independent Scottish bottler based in Dumbarton, run by Kenny and Viktorija Macdonald. The name means big dram in Gaelic. They buy single casks, bottle at cask strength without chill filtration or added colour, and today supply around 25 countries.

Is it peated?

No. Aberfeldy uses unpeated barley malt and there is no smoke anywhere in this whisky. If you want to see how wide the Highland style runs, have a look through our selection of Highland Whisky.