Aberlour and Balvenie

I had promised G-Man a posting about Aberlour 12, a new offering from one of my favorite Highland distilleries, and one that doesn’t seem to attract as much notice as it deserves. John and I have always been big fans of the 15, which is matured in sherry casks, and is remarkably smooth yet still full of flavor. This was the malt we enjoyed with cigars at Turning Stone last summer, sitting outside on the afternoon of Jessica’s wedding. John thinks the Aberlour15 is the best expression of a sherry matured malt, and aside from the Macallan 18, which is in a class much its own, he may be right. And especially good value too. I’m also a fan of the Aberlour 10, their entry level product which can hold its own against much pricier Highland malts. A very good whisky for the money.

The twelve is apparently a new product, very very smooth, a great introductory malt for those nights when one is pouring for novices. It doesn’t have the sweetness of Macallan 12, but rather has a more subtle finish. It’s a milder flavor as well, but there is more than enough taste here. Sticking with what’s apparently an Aberlour tradition, the price is again very reasonable. G-Man reports that the NH store lists Aberlour Glenlivet 12 for only $32 a bottle. I’m not exactly sure what “Aberlour Glenlivet” is, but there is a reference on the label to the Aberlour Glenlivet Distillery Co., so I figure we're talking about the same whisky. In any event, my advice would be to head up toward Maine, and pick up a few bottles at that price, because it’s almost like stealing, to get this malt for only $32.

G-Man also talks about drinking Balvenie while sojourning in Georgia, and I’ve always liked Balvenie. The doublewood 12 is their version of sherry finished highland whisky, and it’s hard not to like. When we cruised with the boys a year ago, I tried to bring a bottle on board, only to have it confiscated. It was returned to us the night before we landed, and as it was a Saturday night, late in March, the very weekend of the final four, the boys and I gathered in front of a TV to watch some hoops, and drink the better part of that bottle. Balvenie has a big flavor, not quite as much taste as Macallan, the benchmark for big Highland malts, or HP, my favorite. (Technically, not a highland at all.) More robust though than most of the other Highlands. Recently, on a trip out west to see our friend Mickey, I spent another weekend enjoying the Balvenie 12, as his wife Carolyn had kindly stocked her liquor cabinet with a couple malts. What great hospitality! I’ve also tasted their 15, which is single cask bottling and 100 proof. Very nice, but a bit of a burn going down. Right now I have a bottle of Balvenie 21, finished in port casks, in our basement, having picked that up very reasonably at a tasting not too long ago. It needs the right occasion to move from the basement to the liquor cabinet; perhaps when G-Man comes upstate this summer. Balvenie is the most reasonably priced 21 year old malt that is commonly available. It’s not in the same class as Macallan 21, or HP25, but it’s still a pretty good bottle of whisky.

And G-Man is right, there lots of room for exploration of the many Highland and Speyside malts. Either one of these labels would be a fine place to start.