Editor’s Note: We received a review sample of this whisky from the brand. However, in accordance with our editorial policies, this has not influenced the outcome of our review in any way.
The Aberfeldy distillery, founded in 1896 in Scotland’s Highland whisky-making region, brings to the Scotch single malt world a very deep and diverse portfolio that begins with a natural water source in The Pitilie Burn (or small river) which runs past the distillery into The River Tay. It forms the backbone of the expressions from here, all of which are distilled through Alembic copper pot stills and aged in a combination of barrels, hogsheads and butts.
Aberfeldy is a consistent whisky producer who has long provided spirit for Dewars’ blended whiskies. Single malts are more recent here and have been noted as successes. Offerings in the core lineup include 12-year, 16-year, and 21-year-old bottlings.
What’s in the bottle
The whiskey being reviewed here, the Aberfeldy 21-Year-Old Argentinian Malbec Cask Finish, is a variant of the core expression of the same stated number of years. Distilled on November 14, 2001, and matured for over two decades in a combination of re-fill barrels and hogsheads, the whisky was then finished for a period of around nine months in Malbec French Oak wine casks sourced from Finca Ambrosia Single Estate winery in Argentina.
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Aberfeldy Malt Master Stephanie Macleod and Finca Wine Maker Matias Macias collaborated on this project in selecting the Malbec casks for the finishing. After more than twenty years of aging, the resulting Exceptional Cask Series release became the latest whisky in this series to have a red wine ending, with previous offerings including French, Californian, and Italian influences.
Bottled at 46% ABV, the final offering is pricing around $280.
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