This Aberfeldy 12 is part of the Last Great Malts series being put out by John Dewar & Sons who built the distillery back in 1896. Aberfeldy is one of the main single malts used in making the Dewar’s line of blended scotch whisky and is often called the golden dram due to its source of water, the Pitilie Burn (small bottle), being filled with gold deposits.
Over the years Aberfeldy hasn’t really pushed out its single malt despite being the only one of the “Last Great Malts” to actually have a regular OB. Though like many “lesser known” distilleries 3rd party bottlers (NDPs) have kept the name alive and known by bottling resting casks not marked for Dewar’s blending. Though now that Dewars is getting into the single malt game in a big way the Aberfeldy 12 will soon enjoy a wide distribution.
Aberfeldy 12 Info
Region: Highlands, Scotland
Distiller: Aberfeldy
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon & ex-Sherry
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Release: The Last Great Malts – Dewars
Price: $40*
Aberfeldy 12 Review
EYE
Amber
NOSE
Butterscotch and a complex overripe fruit jump out of the glass followed by notes of malt, vanilla and hints of sweet white grapes. Some grassy notes hang about with some honey and a sweetness that reminds me of the Playdough / Superman ice-cream I loved as a kid. A nice nose indeed.
PALATE
Rich overripe fruit mixes with some hay like malt, wood and candied citrus rind. Dark honey and dried dates and figs nicely fill out the role of second fiddle as they moves across the palate. There is a Baklava and muscovite sugar quality that mixes with some minerality on the backend.
FINISH
Long and driven by apricots and wood. Notes of vanilla, cinnamon, malt, toffee and dried orchard fruit and dried dark fruit mix in and out as it slowly fades.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good balance with some darker notes mixing in with some of the brighter ones. Full bodied with a soft and chewy texture that makes for a nice drinking experience.
OVERALL
Aberfeldy 12 is tasty stuff. The deep fruity nose compliments the oak and fruit palate that continues nicely through the finish. I’m really enjoying sitting in my recliner with my dog on my legs, laptop on my lap and this in my mouth.
One moment it’s light and fruity, the next some darker notes appear and then back to the lighter sweeter notes. It seems to shift in the glass, but there’s always a nice balance to the Aberfeldy 12 – a fun and flavorful dram I’m enjoying more and more with every sip!
SCORE: 85/100
*Disclosure: This sample of Aberfeldy 12 was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Aberfeldy 12 Review - Score Brakdown
Summary
Aberfeldy 12 is a tasty and well priced single malt. I have nothing to complain about really – I recommend giving it a taste as soon as you can!
Overall
- Nose - 86
- Palate - 85
- Finish - 86
- Balance, Body & Feel - 85
User Review
( votes)( reviews)
I have never been much of a scotch drinker but several years ago I enjoyed this with my sister and her husband in Bermuda. I found it again in a small liquor store in a small town and have enjoyed it since. I have shared it with others who have been scotch drinkers for years and they have become fans also. Since I began working in a retail liquor store I have recommended it to several customers and we do not keep it on the shelves for long. It is just a really good single malt scotch,
Thanks for sharing Virginia. Cheers!
Just cracked open a bottle … found the first sip a bit citrusy but once it had a chance to breath it was warm and smooth. The review is spot on after that. Worth it.
Thanks for sharing C.L., cheers!
It’s a great alternative to the usual Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie. Reminds me a bit of the Aberlour 12, and not just because of the name! If you have suggestions for similar drams, it would be appreciated…
Try the Royal Brackla 12, Glenfarclas 12 or the Glendronah 12. cheers!
How much did you pay for it- oh right- you didn’t pay for it-it can’t believe people read these reviews and buy this-last time I saw a mouth like that it had a hook in it- get prepared for your next career as a used car salesman when the scotch whisky industry goes down like the Hindenburg in the next couple of years-slange!
This is one of the most incoherent comments I’ve received. What in the good hell are you talking about? Did your meds run out? Definitely leaving this one up for posterity’s sake.
Would be great to have a like functionality to support rebuttals such as this :). Always enjoy the commentary, whisky-related or otherwise!
There are a lot of little upgrades like that I’d like to make to the site and I’m working on finding good solutions.
Cheers Keith!
Thanks for this review, Josh. I always keep my eye out for special malts/bourbons to share with a group of friends around Christmas time and I recently saw an Aberfeldy 21 at the local store. I had never heard of Aberfeldy before, but I figured your site probably had some useful information about the brand. Sure enough! Even though your review is for the 12 year old, it makes sense the 21 is likely even better.
I think I just added that bottle to my list of potential special occasion malts.
Cool, I’m sure it’s probably pretty good. If I ever try it I’ll be sure and post the review!
Looking forward to it. Thanks for all the reviews. They are incredibly helpful.
Hi. I really enjoy your reviews (I’ve read dozens of them). I had this Aberfeldy 12 as a sample at the Dewar’s World of Whisky on a visit to Scotland a few years back. The guide mentioned that they do not use much (if any) peat in the process as peat as not found natively in the region.
I found this to my liking as I don’t have (or perhaps have yet to acquire) a taste for peat. Aberfeldy 12 seemed quite bourbon-like to me which, again, I liked. I then thought it would be a great gateway single-malt scotch for a bourbon/rye drinker but have not been able to find it stateside.
Do you know of any other low-peat or no-peat single-malts that are easy to find in the US? Thanks.