Aberlour 16 years old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%

At the foot of Ben Rinnes, the Lour burn runs past a distillery that has stood in Charlestown of Aberlour since 1879. The whisky made here is matured twice over, first in American oak and then in Spanish sherry casks. This 16 year old release is no longer in production.

The expert's description

Aberlour 16 Years Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40% is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured first in 1st fill Bourbon casks and then in Sherry casks, bottled at 40%.

Aberlour was founded in 1879 by James Fleming in Charlestown of Aberlour, where the Lour burn comes down off Ben Rinnes and joins the Spey. A fire in 1898 flattened most of the site and took the buildings and the stocks with it. The distillery was rebuilt, and since 1975 it has belonged to Pernod Ricard.

Double Cask Matured is the maturation method the whole range is built on. The spirit starts out in 1st fill Bourbon casks of American oak, picking up vanilla, coconut and a bright sweetness. It is then racked into Sherry casks, and that is where the darker layers arrive: raisin, plum and spice. The two cask types pull in opposite directions, and the meeting point between them is the whole idea behind the bottle.

Aberlour 16 Years is bottled at 40%, slightly lower than earlier releases of the same whisky. The expression has been discontinued and is no longer produced.

Aberlour is one of the best-selling Single Malt Whisky brands in France, and the French market has been the distillery's most important for decades. The soft, sherried style caught on there long before the rest of the world found its way to Speyside.

Tasting notes

Nose

Warm golden amber in the glass. The nose is creamy and soft with sweet raisins, dried plums and spiced nuts, and a trace of vanilla sits behind it all from the American oak.

Palate

Soft and round from the first sip. Flowers and mild spice land first, then the sweet plums and raisins arrive, and a light oak note finally keeps the sweetness in check. The body is more light than heavy, which makes it easy to drink neat.

Finish

Long and warm. Spiced honey lingers alongside a dry, nutty tone from the sherry cask, and it takes a good while before the mouth is clean again.

Specifications

Name: Aberlour 16 Years Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Aberlour
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 16 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill Bourbon casks followed by Sherry casks
Edition: Double Cask Matured

Flavour profile

Sherried · Fruity · Spiced · Soft · Honeyed

Investment potential

Medium. Aberlour 16 Years Double Cask Matured has been discontinued, and a 16 year age statement from a Speyside distillery with Aberlour's reputation only gets harder to track down as the years pass.

Did you know?

James Fleming left a substantial sum to build a hospital in his home town. Fleming Cottage Hospital in Aberlour opened in 1900, five years after his death, and the building is still in use. His motto, Let the deed shaw, appears on the bottles to this day and is old Scots for letting the deed speak for itself.

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Frequently asked questions about Aberlour 16 Years Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%

What sets Aberlour 16 Years apart from Aberlour 12 Years?

Age and depth. Both rest on the same double maturation, but the four extra years give the 16 year old darker fruit, a rounder body and a longer close. The 12 year old is fresher and more forward, while the 16 year old is quieter and more knitted together.

Is Aberlour 16 Years worth holding on to?

Yes, if you want a sherried age statement on the shelf. The bottle has been discontinued and will not be made again, and 16 years from a Speyside distillery with Aberlour's standing is not something that turns up every day. The sherry maturation also means it holds up well in the glass once opened.

Should you add water or ice?

Try it neat first. At 40% there is not much to dilute, but a single drop of water can open up the flowers and the honey. Ice shuts the aroma down and makes the whisky sullen, so leave it in the freezer.

Which glass suits a sherried Speyside whisky?

A tulip-shaped glass with a narrow rim. The shape gathers the heavy raisin and plum notes up inside the glass instead of letting them escape, and that makes a real difference to a whisky where the aroma is half the experience. See our full range of Whisky Glass.

Why is Aberlour so popular in France?

Because the brand moved into the French market early and has since grown into one of the best-selling Single Malt Whisky names in the country. The soft, sherried style without smoke suited French palates, and sales there have outstripped Scotland itself for decades.

What food goes with it?

Dark chocolate, dried fruit and nut-based desserts. The raisin and plum notes from the sherry cask meet the sugar without turning cloying, and the spice on the close can carry a cheese with an edge to it, a mature cheddar for instance.

How should an opened bottle be stored?

Upright, cool and dark. Whisky should never lie down, because the high strength attacks the cork over time. Once the bottle drops below the halfway mark, oxygen gets more room, and the soft sherry tones in Aberlour 16 Years are the first ones to fade.