A new single malt from Aberfeldy marks one of the latest expressions from the Highland whisky maker, an 18 Year Old finished in Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks from Napa Valley.
A recent statement from the whisky maker notes that the Aberfeldy Red Wine Cask Collection was inspired by Malt Master Stephanie Macleod’s passion for maturation, flavor development and her appreciation of fine wine.
She said she began the exploration of how flavors from red wine casks interact with and elevate Aberfeldy’s aged malt, nosing each cask to monitor maturation and flavor development within Aberfeldy’s inventory.
Aberfeldy first launched the Red Wine Collection in 2019, and since it’s featured French, Italian and Californian red wine cask finishes from several prestigious wineries.
The distiller noted that one of last year’s expressions was a 15-year-old Aberfeldy finished in Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks from Napa Valley.
This newest release is three years older and finished in the same type of cask, for a longer period than before.
Malt Master Macleod said that compared to the 15 Year Old, this whisky shows a deepening of the red berry aromas.
“There’s green apple and Aberfeldy’s signature honey floral notes. Being older and having spent longer in the wine cask, it’s richer and more decadent, more syrupy versus jammy, and has a softening of the spice notes,” she added. “The tannin notes, which come across as cinnamon in the 15, dissipate leaving a velvety and more mellow dram.”
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The limited-edition whisky first matures in a combination of refill casks, and then it’s finished in ex-Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks from Napa Valley, California.
Aberfeldy 18 Years Old Cabernet Sauvignon wine finished whisky clocks in at 43% ABV and has a suggested price of £115. It will initially be for sale in the distillery’s online shop, www.shop.dewars.com, then it will roll out to markets in the UK, France, Germany and the U.S.
For more information, check out www.aberfeldy.com.
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