The
Aberlour Experience is a crowded mosaic of people, places and
events, tradition and ritual, whisky making and whisky tasting.
It stretches back over 1,400 years and reaches out across the
world.
Founder of the Aberlour Distillery, James Fleming (1830-95)
was a man of enterprise, vision and compassion. The son of a
local tenant farmer, he became a grain dealer with many whisky
distillers among his customers.This encouraged him to establish
his own distillery and create a whisky of distinction. He acquired
the land at Aberlour and with it the priceless water source
of St Drostan's Well. Work began in 1879 and within a year the
whisky began to flow.
James Fleming was a man of extraordinary generosity. He built
a community hall for the people of Aberlour and left money to
fund the construction of a hospital and a bridge across the
River Spey. Self-effacing and modest, he lived by his family
motto (bestowed on it by Robert the Bruce) of "Let the
Deed Show". A sentiment appropriately displayed on every
bottle of Aberlour.
In Great Malt Whisky Bars of the World, we profile (with your
help) some choice establishments where you can enjoy a dram
of Aberlour in the company of other outstanding whiskies. Our
globe-trotting directory ranges from Montreal to Melbourne,
from Amsterdam
to Alaska. Or if you fancy combining great whisky with great
food then you need go no further than Martine Nouet's exclusively
created and deliciously imaginative Aberlour Recipes.
Aberlour Single Highland Malt whiskies are aged from 10 to
30 years and are casked and bottled in different ways to best
bring out the delicate flavours and remarkable tastes that make
our whisky so special. Whether you are delving into the magic
and mystery of Aberlour, or getting into the spirit in some
far-flung whisky bar, or adding a dash of single malt in the
kitchen . . . it's all part of the incomparable Aberlour experience.
Courtesy of Aberlour Distillery
ABERLOUR 10 YEAR
OLD
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
A classic Speyside single malt, matured in a combination
of bourbon and sherry casks. Welcoming, vibrant and rewarding.
Colour: Gold.
Nose: The dry, fresh,
fruity aromas of early autumn apples and pears are subtly
enhanced with sweet notes of vanilla and mint toffee.
Taste: Exceptionally
smooth and creamy, with spicy-sweet nutmeg and honey
combining with the dewy freshness of autumn fruits.
Finish: Long, soft and
warming.
ABERLOUR 12 YR
DOUBLE CASK
MATURED SINGLE MALT SCOTCH
Appearance:
Amber gold with ruby highlights.
Taste: Good sherried
body with fruity aromas.
Nose: Very soft and
rounded with fruity notes (red apple).
Finish: Warming, powerful
with some smoky notes and a gentle pepperiness.
ABERLOUR A'BUNADH
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Cask strength. A 19th-century-style
whisky matured exclusively in Spanish oak Oloroso
sherry butts, then bottled at cask strength. Dark,
luxurious and powerful; a superb after-dinner malt.
Colour: Deep, rich
amber.
Nose: An intoxicating
aroma of mixed spices, praline and spiced orange,
harmonising with rich, deep notes of Oloroso sherry.
Taste: Orange, black
cherries, dried fruit and ginger, spiked with dark
bitter chocolate and enriched with sherry and oak.
Full-bodied and creamy.
Finish: Robust and
intense, with bitter-sweet notes of exotic spices,
dark chocolate and oak. Aberlour a'bunadh is currently
available in France, UK, duty free shops and is soon
to be exported to other countries around the world.
ABERLOUR 16 YEAR
DOUBLE CASK MATURED
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Colour: Rich
Golden Amber
Nose: Rich, dry scented
floral and sweet raisin aromas with spicy nuttiness
Taste: Smooth, full,
sweet floral and spicy flavours with a soft plum fruitiness
and gentle oakiness.
The distillery was founded in 1879 by James Fleming, who shrewdly
built it on the site of St Drostan's Well, thus securing forever
this priceless source of pure spring water. When the journalist
Alfred Barnard visited Aberlour in the 1880s, as part of his exhaustive
survey of Scottish whisky distilleries, he described James Fleming's
new establishment as a "perfect modern Distillery".
In 1898 a fire destroyed several of the distillery buildings
and most of the whisky stocks. Under the supervision of Scotland's
foremost designer of whisky distilleries, Charles Doig of Elgin,
the Aberlour Distillery was largely rebuilt.
Over the past 100 years, with modernisation and technology,
the landscape of the distillery has inevitably altered, though
many of the original features are still there and the traditional
working character of the place remains unchanged. The latest
addition is the new Visitors Centre - the Fleming Rooms - named
after the founder of the distillery.
"The Aberlour Distillery Experience" enables you to
see the whisky-making process at first hand and to sample a
selection of the finished product in a tutored tasting session.
This in-depth tour, which has been awarded the maximum five-star
status by Scotland's National Tourism Board, is relaxed and
informal and endlessly fascinating. An experience not to be
missed.
Tour Details
• A small, intimate tour (maximum 16 people), allowing
visitors to see and hear everything clearly.
• Nosing and tasting in Warehouse No.1 of five mature
Aberlour malts and a new-make spirit.
• The chance to hand-fill and purchase your own personalised
bottle of the single cask selection. This is exclusive to visitors
on the distillery tour.
• An audio-visual presentation on the history and production
of Aberlour whisky precedes the guided tour.
• Average time of visit is 1 hour 45 minutes.
Admission price: £10.00
Reservations: Please reserve tickets in advance.
Tel: +44(0)1340 881 249 or email here.
Opening & Tour Times
Summer Hours 2010
Open – 6 April to 30 October 2010
Monday to Sunday, 09.00 to 17.00
Tours at 10.00 and 14.00
Winter Hours 2010
Open – 5 January to 3 April 2010, 2 November to 18 December
2010
Monday to Friday, 09.00 to 17.00
Tours at 10.00 and 14.00
Location:
At the west end of Aberlour High Street.
One cautionary note:
Don't drink and drive! If you are coming by car, nominate someone
in your party to be driver for the day or book into a nearby
hotel. You can then relax and get into the spirit of Aberlour!
Courtesy of Aberlour Distillery
Comments on this Whisky page 2 of 2
Click here to add a comment
Keith de Noble
Posted 385 days ago
The 10 year old is an exceptional malt and I discovered it through a friend who visited and brought a bottle. We enjoyed the first so much it was nearly drunk in a night. Sometime later I purchased a bottle of A'Bunadh. At first I was dismayed at the strength but soon realized the flavor was exceptional and I would need to plan more carefully as to when to sip on this very fine malt. There will be more of both added to the whisky cabinet.
Joanne Bergstrom, Editor
Posted 545 days ago
Thanks Mark J for sharing! I am definitely an Aberlour fan myself!
Mark J
Posted 545 days ago
Visited the Aberlour Distillery last month - great fun and fantastic whisky. I filled my own bottle of 15 year old sherry oak cask-strength. Absolutely fabulous. I would buy the barrel if I could. IMO, this is an overlooked and underappreciated distillery and the product is first-rate.
The
Aberlour Experience is a crowded mosaic of people, places and
events, tradition and ritual, whisky making and whisky tasting.
It stretches back over 1,400 years and reaches out across the
world. 
Amsterdam
to Alaska. Or if you fancy combining great whisky with great
food then you need go no further than Martine Nouet's exclusively
created and deliciously imaginative Aberlour Recipes.
