Aberlour A'bunadh batch #53

Overall rating
86.98/100
votes
230
Whiskybase ID
WB73886
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottled
2015
Casktype
Sherry Butts
Casknumber
Batch 53
Strength
59.7 % Vol.
Size
700 ml
Bottle code
5010739261523
Added on
02 nov 2015 10:04 am by arnaud89
ColoredNon-chillfilteredCask Strength
Aberlour A'bunadh batch #53
Photo by Whiskybase Shop
Aberlour A'bunadh batch #53
Photo by P601L

Average value

€ 75.52

Found 4 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 100.00
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23 × in wishlist

230 × member ratings

477 × in collection

Whisky reviews for Aberlour A'bunadh batch #53

46 users have left 52 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 86.98 points.

  1. Malthead19 scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    COLOR: dark amber, chestnut (without dye)

    - batch # 53 is unfortunately my "weakest" batch so far,
    - of course still a top whisky in terms of quality, but the
    Difference to #49 and others is clear
    tasteable
    - with about 60€ basically still ok, but I would
    buy another batch
    • Nose
      Aroma-rich, fruity and spicy first impression, sherry, old grapes, dark berries
    • Taste
      without water: very strong, voluminous start, less sherry, much spice, but you can still drink it strong (if you are used to whisky) somewhere behind the alcohol you can also see the fruity nuances

      mW: a lot of spice on entry, strong oak character develops further in the mouth, unfortunately less fruity, leather, some dark berries, very dry sherry
    • Finish
      long, spicy-fruity finish;
      long dry woody aftertaste

  2. zzqfyl scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  3. bankimate scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  4. Funtik scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

  5. DenisLeonov did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    B: 22
    B: complete delight! Bright, tasty, complex. 89
    • Nose
      sweet, thick. cherries.prunes.toasted oak.dates.biscuit notes. 23
    • Taste
      dry creamy wine spicy 22
    • Finish
      dry.long-bright-peppery.nuts and dried fruit compote.wine bone. 22

  6. dominikbraun scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
      Marzipan, chocolate, biscuits, glazed citrus fruits - modern sherry profile with a PX influence and a slightly sour background, which comes into its own with a little water.
    • Taste
      87 87
      Mandarins, oranges, chocolate, pepper, raisins, tangy limes, grapefruit, wood.
    • Finish
      85 85
      Dry and sweet with little contrast.

  7. Igor_Gudimov scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
      Sweet and sour dark cherry, chocolate, tobacco, orange jam
    • Taste
      88 88
      Dry sherry jam and sweet dried cherry
    • Finish
      87 87
      Nice cherry note and long dryness

  8. valasios scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  9. Sjaak92 scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      87 87

  10. Willum scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  11. tigerchi1970 scored this whisky 92 points Newbie

    easy to drink and very cheap.high value.

  12. Seanzhang scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  13. schengel10 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Great, intense A'Bunadh, great batch,
    very dark [color] copper to mahogany;
    Price-performance = top!
    • Nose
      heavy dark fruit (berries, dates), tobacco, spice, oak;
    • Taste
      with water: strong, hot, voluminous, dark honey, sherry, nuts, dates, blood oranges, tobacco, spices, lots of oak, complex;
    • Finish
      long, spicy, dark chocolate, oak, astringent;

  14. hogsheadwhisky scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    I now understand why A'bunadh tastes so good to so many. A first-class sherry board. Without water, it can hardly be tamed in the mouth. With the right water mixture, it is very pleasing. The sherry is still omnipresent. But not so oppressive anymore. It is really a great malt. If I had to choose an Aberlour, the A'bunadh would be my choice.
    • Nose
      The color is like the first smell impression! Intensive. An intensely dark amber, almost metallic copper. Without adding water, the nose gets an extreme sherry slap. Leather. Old leather and a pungent alcohol influence that is reminiscent of a stain. The term sherry board is certainly appropriate here. Behind the brutal sherry note comes something like orange zest after a few minutes. The undiluted nose is very nice. With a few drops of water, the sharpness decreases significantly. It becomes calmer and more balanced. The leathery sherry becomes a dark fruity, dried fruit-like note. The orange comes out more.
    • Taste
      You can feel the full force of alcohol undiluted! Salivation begins immediately. Noticeable burning sensation in the mouth. The sherry appears behind it. Spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon can also be tasted. It becomes softer with water. Sweetness builds up in the mouth right at the beginning. Plum jam, Powidl in Austria, is available. The spices are still present.
    • Finish
      Without water it ends vigorously. Remains a maximum of medium length as a dark chocolate impression. The finish is also more pleasant with water. In addition to the bitter nuances, there are a few fruity flavors. The malt remains present longer.

  15. liquid_spirit scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    The A'bunadh are awesome and this one (# 53) is the best of the # 50 series for me personally.
    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  16. Marko_I did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    A'bunadh is a safe bank - not always the same, but always (almost) equally delicious.
    • Nose
      For 'nen a'bunadh right' light ', so not so heavy sweet syrup or chocolate ... but bright Trockenirgendwasfrüchte, I'm not sure, figs? Apricots? ... and more sawdust than old oak, white pepper
    • Taste
      fat, sweet juice, mixture of chocolate syrup, plum juice and sugar beet syrup with neat pepper, delicious, and here then the "old wood"
    • Finish
      the syrup mixture remains for a short time, then pleasantly warm and pepper-hot for a long time

  17. valery77 scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      Powerful, at first slightly alcoholic. Fresh wood, lollipops, dry sherry, dried apricots, dried cherries, dried apple, prunes, liquorice, rich pastries, very delicate notes of the carpentry workshop, easy fragrance. 22
    • Taste
      Full-bodied, moderately dry, powerful. Black pepper, oriental spices, oak tannins, plum, apricot and apple jam, fruit lozenges, apple pastila. 22
    • Finish
      Medium in length, tannic, smoothly fading. 21
      Delicious, although not the most difficult sherry, "burly". Balance 22
      Total 87.

  18. Lebenswassertester scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    for friends of sherry - I miss Islay
    • Nose
      flowery, rose water, orange peel, marzipan sweetness, and dried cherry, honey, tobacco
    • Taste
      peppery alcoholic
      creamy bitter
    • Finish
      fruity, red and orange fruits, sweet and sour, strong dryness, flattering spiciness

  19. thomasflsts scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  20. hs305 scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    [September, 2016] Together with friends I emptied a bottle that I bought for 50 Euro in August, 2016.

    In my old rating system (ten scales that translate into WB points: 50 - 66 - 75 - 80 - 82,5 - 85 - 87,5 - 90 - 92,5 - 95) I scored it 87,5. My notes state "easy sippable".

  21. krupoder scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Nose: Fortified wine, dried fruit, fruit chewing gum, something earthen, dried cherries, Pu-erh tea, lacquered furniture, sweet pastry, but with ostrinkoy. Jerez monster, you can inhale without stopping, but it's time to try
    Taste: strong, but very pleasant, straight blast to taste buds, but you don’t know which one to grab. Pu-erh black tart tea, something bread-malt, sponge cake, black coffee, bitter chocolate. Thick, enveloping
    Aftertaste: long, spicy, floral.
    Balance: great.
    Great Whisky - 88

  22. thijs100 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Good? Yes. Decent value for money? Totally. However, this is not for the faint-hearted. Strong-willed and quite aggressive.
    • Nose
      Extremely sweet (cotton candy, marzipan), but there's a slight tartness as well. Also, plenty of cocoa powder, followed by some bung cloth. A hint of charred orange peel and rum-soaked raisins.
    • Taste
      Spicy (black and chili pepper), and with a fair amount of new oak as well, yet sweet. Orange juice, chocolate and raisins.
    • Finish
      Lingering spices, and finally some sweetness again. Long.

  23. DenisLeonov did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    A: Sweet, thick. Cherry.harrow, burnt oak.phinic. Bisque notes. 23 B: dry.h.w. P: dry. Long-bright-pepper. Nuts and compote of dried fruits. Vine bone .22 B: 22 Q: Full of delight! Bright, tasty.

  24. Calmar scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    A qualitative sherry bomb, richly, sweetly, quite difficult, pleasant, very high pitchnost, in this case the malt-grain notes breaking through sherry are added. Games with water are shown
    • Nose
      Open, dry, the first nose - a furniture varnish, fried nuts; noble wood, old furniture from a file, a varnish, raisins, sweet confectionery notes - baklava, honey, nuts; prunes, kvasnoe wort, earth shades, pu er, grain, a little raw wool. With water, chocolate shades appear strongly, becoming generally sweeter and softer.
    • Taste
      Powerful, sweet-oak, peppery, earthen notes, pu er, light metal sour, prunes, corn, malt. With water - again, chocolate, cappuccino appears, and more woody and cereal notes.
    • Finish
      Spicy, slightly astringent, prunes, pu er, burnt rusks, kvass, sweet notes - raisins, cola, caramel. With water - plus bitter chocolate, mint, orange peel in syrup.

  25. Nigol scored this whisky 90 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  26. StyrianSpirit scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    With a few drops of water, the smell from the Nosingglas becomes more fruity. On the palate and finally on the finish, the fruits with a few drops of water in the first row, the herb and oak notes step into the background, but remain present. The batch 53 of the Aberlour a'bunadh is a great strong sherry malt.
    • Nose
      Sherry, baking flavor, oak, leather. Herbs such as marjoram and thyme, ripe plums, light mint. A'bunadh just.
    • Taste
      This strong Aberlour comes very powerful and dark sweet in the mouth. The herbs and oak are also present immediately. A powerhouse.
    • Finish
      In the end, the very present oak is intensified to the sherry, dark fruit and herbal notes, the profile turns now also towards espresso.

  27. Bamkero scored this whisky 75 points Expert Junior

    After taste, there's "MAO-TAI(Chinese spirits)" like recent bottled Macallan.

  28. Donwaldorf scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    A successful A'bunadh compared to the Batch 50 tasted recently. Alcohol perfectly integrated. Of course we should not suffer from the syndrome "Sherry make me afraid!" if you want to appreciate it to its true value.
    • Nose
      Beautiful power, some tingling ... A very sherry nose with cooked fruit, quince jelly, plums / plums, figs, vanilla and honey. A very pleasant nose ... sherry but not disgusting.
    • Taste
      It is very oily in the mouth despite its high alcohol content. There is always this side Sherry but not too much. There are dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, figs and a pack of spices.
    • Finish
      Rather medium in length on red fruits, spices, walnut pie and grandma's cake.

  29. Avdboom scored this whisky 89 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      89 89

  30. Eclectic Scotchist scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      88 88

  31. Eclectic Scotchist scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Medium-bodied.This batch is simply a fantastic example of how good Aberlour can be at this strength! Very interesting flavour combinations, and a little pet favorite of mine right now:)
    • Nose
      Sherry. oranges, nougat, liquorice, apricot jam, prunes/figs, a hint of cherries, flowers mixed with oak mixed with some nice and spicy wood tannins, some tropical notes (passion fruit?), wooden floors with rich polish, some freshly ground coffee, suede leather, a kind of fresh dustiness, very woody (and probably chewy) malt, a trace of light old engine oil (pleasant), some honey, old wooden cask, perhaps just a whisper of smoke (?). a herbal note and some candied apples. 
    • Taste
      Sherry, honey, cream, oil, old oak, fruit syrup with something zesty injected into it,   heavy woodspices, some unburnt peat, light nougat, and a constant presence of light tropical notes.
    • Finish
      Mediumish - sherry, delicate unburnt peat, leather with dried red fruits, cherries come in at the very end of the finish, some fantastic and a bit dirty oiliness, surprisingly zesty throughout, hint of apricot jam, also here some light tropical notes play in the background constantly.

  32. Andytka3 scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    Rich
    juice of fig, fine leather and Guinness treacle at the tail. Grilled
    pineapple, cafe mocha and sherry sweet. Affluent of goodies that
    compliment one another and at fine balanced. Medium length is the only set back for this beauty. Absolutely contended on
    sipping this 59.7% at 11am in the morning.

    — at Whisky Live Singapore.
    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      87 87

  33. Arquebus scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    A'BUNADH... batch53

    This has to be one of the best Whisky buys in the UK. It's stocked by the major supermarkets - who like to give out vouchers.... spend £30 or more and get £5 or £10 off.... get 20% off your first onlne shop etc...... in other words Whisky Vouchers!

    So pick beauties like these up for less than £35 a bottle - and sometimes even less if they're already on offer!!!   At cask strength they're difficult to beat. Make sure you look through the shelves and check the batch numbers - either to get the best batch if you've done your research or to get different batches (they're all good). Tuck a few away - the batches no longer available in the shops seem to fetch at least £50 in auctions and good batches can go for over £100!!!

     I'd hold the Glenlivet Naddura range in similar esteem - the 16yr old's now ended in favour of NAS (non-age-statement) whiskies were a great range of more bourbon driven cask strengthers - shame they didn't catch on like the A'Bunadh's....

    Batch 53 is a sherry Bomb - quel surprise!

    Take this one slowly - it gets better as the air gets to it. I opened one of mine in February 2016 - 8 months ago and it's improved all the way. Some slightly off rubbery notes at the start have now completely dissappeared...

    Aberlour A'bunadh like Ardbeg Uigeadail is a whisky I like to have on my open shelf. 

    Superb Sherry Casked Malt. If not tried yet, it has to be in your top ten must buys and a good introduction to higher cask strength whisky.

    This particular batch 53 - 88points - now ammended up to 90 having 'breathed'. 

  34. vojt466 scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Generally, the bottle would fit
    • Nose
      Sherry, dried fruits (plums, raisins), cherry compote, sour cherries, spices, malt, lightly pervasive alcohol - but what to expect at that strength :) A nice and full aroma
    • Taste
      Initial spice on the tongue turns into a breathtaking sherry sweetness ... Finished by the extra dense sweetness of sweets and dried fruits and nuts. Eventually there is an oncoming alcohol - a parade
    • Finish
      Dozvuk is medium to long, but it is obviously the weakest feature of this whisky - it is such that it fades with sinking sherry flavors, they feel nuts, bitter chocolate and some spice

  35. Defeatless scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Nose: sherry, dark herbs (coriander, clove, cinnamon) some pepper and hint of wood. with water: more dark sherry notes, some liquorish.

    Taste: Dark sherry notes. Warming, deep dark chocolate. A true sherry bomb. hints of leather. a bit bitter. with water: more leather and sherry notes. also a bit bitter.

    Body: full and oily. A bit dry compared to other editions.

    Finish: medium-long chocolate. burst of sherry and some more chocolate. With water:

    Price: seems to be a new standard to get these for 50-55 euro's.

    Presentation: don't know this was a sample from a sampleswap with squaadgras.

    Comments: I've tasted quite a few A'bunadh but this one is not the best. Still a very good whisky though.
    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  36. mer1973 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      86 86

  37. Dre73 scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Real sherry bomb this whisky. Very powerful and full of flavor (partly due to the high Abv), nevertheless very fruity. With the addition of water, it becomes milder, more florid and chocolate and red fruit become even more prominent. In spite of that, it is also fine to drink on caskstrength.
    Top dram for relatively little money, one of my absolute favorites so far.
    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  38. Dre73 scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Whisky with a very full and fruity taste. The influence of the sherry casks and the high alcohol% is unmistakable.
    • Nose
      red fruit, sherry, raisins. Chocolate, caramel, oak
    • Taste
      very full and sturdy! Red fruit, chocolate, caramel. Peperig. Oak. Orange, raisins. m / w: pepperiness decreases, dark chocolate and red fruit even more to foreground, and floral, notes of lavender
    • Finish
      Medium to long, dry. Slightly peppery, oak is coming through. And the red fruit, the caramel and chocolate. m / w: same effect as with the taste, milder and flowier.

  39. P.A.O.K.you_are scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      sherry, raisins, oranges, apple juice and chocolate
    • Taste
      sherry, oak notes, pepper, raisins, fruits and wood.
    • Finish
      sherry, chocolate and coffee

  40. robain scored this whisky 87 points Specialist

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      90 90

  41. robain scored this whisky 87 points Specialist

    • Nose
      fireplace, sherry,honey
    • Taste
      sweet, little dry, sherry, honey
    • Finish
      sweet and long honey with sherry tones

  42. squaadgras scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      87 87

  43. Dramned! scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      90 90

  44. Dramned! scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    For a sherry he initially offers everything you expect, no real surprises. But everything he offers is very powerful and voluminous and very well matched. However, the more time you give him, the more you will be rewarded - you enjoy and let yourself be guided, and then you are astonished and happy about the increasing complexity that he reveals. Of all the tested Aberlours this is undoubtedly my favorite next to the 12 year old Non-Chill-Filtered! Now I'm curious about the much-praised earlier batches ... 90/100
    • Nose
      In the nose first the typical sherry character with pickled cherries, marzipan, a little musty, slight oak notes. After some time in the glass, the mellowness gives way to a nice sweetness of brown sugar and a strong creamy spiciness. The alcohol is clear thanks to cask strength, but unobtrusive.
    • Taste
      Undiluted very full-bodied, strong and wow! All aromas of the nose can be found again, in addition to dark dried fruit, tart wood notes, a dryness of the Sherry. With a little water, it becomes more agreeable, the sweetness and the fruitiness increase, the dryness gives way and saliva is stimulated, spicy herbs such as rosemary and thyme come and flowery notes of lavender and heather, a ginger sharpness gives a kick
    • Finish
      In the long finish are spicy oak, plums and dry fruits

  45. WhiskyLovingPianist scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    N: To me these batches smell younger and younger lately. I nose lots of raisins [of course], soft toffee notes and ripe bananas. Nice sherry nose, easy pleaser, vibrant notes with clarity, full HD, good balance.
    T: Plenty of zing and not just ethanol based - the youthfulness and ‘hot’ casks not completely under control. Develops on orange, chocolate and lots of peppery zing. Even with water its peppery, one that can’t be tamed - loses points here
    F: Continues along a similar vein. Vanilla toffee, more raisins and modest sherry notes continue - finishes strongly. Notable sherried balance with the regions terroir showing.
    C: Positions 1st-3rd: Finish, nose, palate. Good stuff for sure but suffers from an immaturity. I tired with this quickly over time as it become overly sugary. Fortunately the middle is cushioned by highlights on either side.

    Scores a B- [85]

  46. thomasflsts scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      89 89

  47. KayMeertens scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    It's not of the tremendous quality of some older batches, but when I lined it up with batches 50 and 51 this one was clearly the winner. This one appears more treacly and fruity. Still definitely worth the money if you can buy it at 50 euros.
    • Nose
      Goji berry, toffee, orange, raisin, mocha, apple syrup and melon.
    • Taste
      Pepper, apple, cranberry, toffee, peach, mocha, cocoa and incense.
    • Finish
      Caramel, coffee candy, cherry

  48. Hvdree scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  49. peatbogger scored this whisky 88 points Specialist

    Got a sample from a friend.

    Had it neat, found it great.

    Full sherry flavour, very complex on both nose and taste.

    Robust, heavy, very present and takes charge of your senses..

    88p

  50. PeterCr scored this whisky 89 points Expert Junior

    Nice thick tears in the glass. Good balance with some spice and tannines to keep the sweetness in check.Very nice whisky. Compared to the 18yo, this one has some extra complexity in my view but is quite close to their 18yo.

    Balance score = 21/25
    Total score: 89 pts
    • Nose
      Without water: citrus, vanilla, some spice and some raisins coming through

      With water: some oak comes through nowQuite powerful nose.

      Nose score = 21/25
    • Taste
      With water: very smooth (little greasy) opening, sweet, creamy, cherry, fruity (melon), honey

      High complexity!

      Taste score = 23/25
    • Finish
      Long, sweet soft opening with some raisins followed by some heat in the finish with spice (or ginger), vanilla, caramel and nuts in the end

      Finish score = 24/25

  51. Luuk61 scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Colour; Nice sherry, somewhat darker than #52

    Nose; sherry, raisins, lots of white fruit, some wood. A smooth nose but also impressive

    Taste; sherry and chocolate, dark brown chocolate, then again raisins en banana. A bit pepper, some wood and leather. A bit sharp but with 59,7% thats not so strange. Overall impressive again

    Finish; Herbs and spices, a little marshmallow, just a little bit less than 52 but a very good dram

    Comments; again a great batch from Aberlour and really great value for money

  52. Ras Mazunga did not rate this whisky Super Administrator

    Better photo added now.

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