hs305 scored this whisky 88 points

...which is another fine and flawless A'bunadh edition but still I like nos. 49 & 54 better. They simply offer more interesting aromas and flavours than this edition but with respect to pure drinking pleasure this one is (almost) on eye-level. By the way, not a single trace of sulphur.
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The colour is chestnutoloroso sherry and the nose offers a bold and flawless modern sherry profile in the best tradition of the A'bunadh bottlings legacy. The sherry aromas are very strong but still there is some space for the Aberlour malt to shine through and the wood is appropriate in this context. The only thing missing is complexity but hey - this is young (underaged) stuff, where should any complexity come from?
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The taste is sherry, sherry, sherry, wood, sherry, wood and some malt flavours. I would not call this balanced but the sherry is pretty nice and this dram is enjoyable to drink, so what to complain about? Easy drinking stuff, not more and not less... and it is greatly chewable when neat.
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The dram arrives very hot on the palate with significant peppery and chili moments and an okayish (but not great) coating effect. The finish is medium to long and adds some notes of milk chocolate before it turns more bitter towards the end (now the wood takes control). Water smoothes both nose and taste but to be honest: I like the raw power of the neat dram better.