Aberlour Aberlour 16 Years Old Double Cask Matured NV 750ml

More subtle and complex than the new 12 year old, and not as sweet. Creamy in texture and floral on the nose, with dried vanilla, gentle spice, nectarine, kiwi, plum, and lemon gum drops. Soft, elegant finish with a hint of mint. Great balance of a variety of flavors and lots of finesse. A well-crafted whisky!

The bouquet is austere and leathery with curious aromas of beeswax, vegetable oil and oaky resin. Palate entry is focused on the resin; midpalate is splendidly multilayered and offers elements of black pepper, dried orange blossom, honeysuckle, dried fruit, sage, fennel and confections. Aftertaste is deep and unabashedly sweet and honeyed.

Topaz/burnished orange/old copper color; impeccable purity. This austere, linear, leathery aroma is miles away from the far more friendly and succulent early perfume of the 12 Year Old; further aeration introduces curious aromas of beeswax/paraffin, vegetable oil, and oaky resin, with nary a hint of fruit, spice, grain, or flowers. Palate entry is narrowly focused on the oak/resin and is, therefore, more challenging than the easygoing 12; midpalate is splendidly complex in its multilayered approach to taste and in the process of savoring I find elements of spice (black pepper), flowers (dried orange blossom and honeysuckle), fruit (especially dried fruits, like prunes, white raisins, apricots), herbs (sage), root vegetables (fennel), and confectionary (molasses, brown sugar) - I mean, this midpalate just keeps unfolding well into the aftertaste which is deep and unabashedly sweet and honeyed. Holy cow, but this malt explodes in the mouth. Nothing short of a detonation. Highly Recommended.