Scotch Whisky Review #179: Aberlour-Glenlivet 12 Year (1970-1980s Bottling)

Distillery: Aberlour

Region: Speyside

Price: Many thanks to /u/Pork_Bastard

for letting me try this one!

ABV: 43%

Age: 12 Year

Color: 1.2, Chestnut/Oloroso Sherry.

Nose: (according to the wife) It’s quite sweet and there’s a lot of different desserts that pop up. There’s caramel, crème brûlée, a bit of a key lime cheesecake, and some tarte tatin.

Palate: This whisky has a very pleasant warmth to it as it sits on your tongue. There’s something almost comforting about it, like you’re wrapped up in a blanket on a cold day with a hot drink. It has a very earthy flavor with deep notes of roasted barley. A bit of malt sweetness comes through along with a bit of rich, creamy custard. This dram goes down very easily, perhaps far too easily.

Finish: Medium in length. There’s a bit of the brûléed sugar along with some more of the creamy custard.

Conclusion: What this whisky lacks in complexity it depth, it makes up absolutely with some very intense and rich flavors along with a very easy-to-drink nature. It nose is so inviting with lots of little dessert notes, the palate has a really nice warmth to it that goes well the the roasted barley and bit of custard. The burnt sugar in the finish makes for a nice end to it all. Modern Aberlour has a bit more complexity but there is also something very nice in having a straight-forward easy drinker. Would I buy a bottle? If I could find one!

Final Score: 78.

Scotch Whisky Review #179, Speyside Whisky Review #75, Whisky Network Review #245

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.