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Aberlour: Experience the iconic Speyside distillery with deep roots and exceptional single malt
Aberlour Distillery: Sherry-rich Speyside character since 1879
Aberlour was founded in 1879 by grain merchant James Fleming at the foot of Ben Rinnes in the heart of Speyside. Fleming built the distillery right by the Lour Burn, where it flows into the River Spey, and left behind the motto "Let the Deed Show", a mantra the distillery still works by.
The heart of the house style: double cask maturation
Aberlour's hallmark is consistent parallel maturation in two cask types: classic American bourbon casks and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks of Spanish oak. The spirit matures separately in both cask types before the master blender marries them together ahead of bottling. The result is a close balance between vanilla sweetness and dark notes of raisins, roasted nuts and dark chocolate.
The range spans from the balanced Aberlour 12 Year Old (40% vol.) through the 16 and 18-year-olds to the cult classic Aberlour A'bunadh. A'bunadh is a tribute to 19th-century spirit: bottled unfiltered at full cask strength (typically between 59% and 61%) after maturing exclusively in first-fill Oloroso casks.
The copper stills and the body of the spirit
The distillery draws its soft water from springs on Ben Rinnes. Distillation takes place in four large copper stills with unusually wide swan necks. Their shape minimises reflux and preserves the heavier esters in the spirit. The result is a robust, oily new make that is not overwhelmed even after decades in powerful sherry casks.
Bottlings and serving
While the standard 40% bottlings are chill-filtered to stay clear when served with ice, A'bunadh and the rare single cask editions are always non-chill filtered. This preserves the natural fatty acids and oils. Enjoy A'bunadh in a tulip-shaped nosing glass, and gradually add 3-4 drops of room-temperature water to break the surface tension and release the dense sherry oils.
