Does some sorts of whiskey have milk in it?

Hi,

I have a'bunadh whiskey and when I finish drink it I smell milk or butter or somthing like that, and I woundered if they put milk or butter in it, because I have members in my family who are allergic to milk and I don't want them to be sick, so if you can help me here please, because I don't know how to contact the people in the distillery.

Thanks.

[malthound]

it has no dairy

[Jojo]

Originally Posted by malthound

it has no dairy

Ditto. (thanks malthound)

While Aberlour A'bundah is a very rich whisky, there is no dairy whatsoever in it. Now, there are some whiskies or whiskeys that have dairy within (ie Bailey's Irish Cream whiskey, Heather Cream Whisky Liqueur (has Balblair whisky) and Drambuie Sylk Cream Liqueur), but not the A'bundah.

So where does this taste come from? (it also says on the box that it has buttery cream taste)

[Son-o'-the-Sod(?)]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

So where does this taste come from? (it also says on the box that it has buttery cream taste)

Might be the power of suggestion from the flavor descriptors on the box (which probably shouldn't be taken too literally, bear in mind it's basically the distillery's advertising for its product). But a buttery and creamy taste is usually quite a good thing in a whisky, so enjoy!

[BourbonDrinker]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

So where does this taste come from? (it also says on the box that it has buttery cream taste)

Good water and barley, tight distillation cuts, and above average wood management.
Cheers!

[blenderm]

Most of this type of flavour comes from natural vanilla in the American Oak barrels during maturation, it comes through as a creamy style of flavour.
There's no milk or dairy in Scotch Whisky at all but there is a contamination byproduct at the fermenting stage called lacto bacillus which, if not picked up by quality control, can get into the spirit and smells and tastes similar to cheese or cream that's gone bad.

[jannedaarc]

Ok, you cannot even call Scotch Whisky by that name unless it has simply barley, water and yeast. That's it. If any other ingredients are put in, it is not Scotch Whisky.

I agree with a previous poster that a lot of it is the power of suggestion, but there is also something much deeper. You have to realize what the casks these whiskies sit in have gone through. Some of them have held a huge variety of different spirits that impart an incredibly complex and numerous flavors to the final product.