Nose: (according to the wife) It’s got the common “scotch” smell with lots of vanilla and slightly aged oak. There’s also some pepper and raisins in the nose.

Palate: Mouthfeel is slightly on the thin side of things. Lots of vanilla here from the start. It’s joined by a ton of dried fruit notes in raisins, dried figs, dried apple slices, dried strawberries, and a bit of dried cherry. Everything is incredibly delicate and light, the flavors are slightly muted but the complexity is there.

Finish: Medium to short in length. More of the vanilla is present here and it’s joined by a hint of caramel, a hint of chocolate dust, and a few of those dried fruits.

Conclusion: A few years ago, the Aberlour 12 Year was probably the first whisky I had after recommendations here on /r/Scotch. I’ve been eyeing the 16 year old version for some time now so I figured I’d finally pull the trigger before prices went up due to tariffs. This turned out to be a very delicate dram. There are layers of fruit flavors and complexity throughout, which are quite nice, but you’ve got to go and find them. Being bottled at 40% ABV did this whisky no favors and it definitely could have been a great at a higher proof. Would I buy another bottle? Maybe, but probably not at post-tariff prices.

Final Score: 81.

Scotch & Sheen is now on Instagram! Please take a look for quick summaries of my reviews!

Scotch Whisky review #133, Speyside Whisky Review #52, Whisky Network Review #176

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.