Nestled in a lush valley in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands, Aberfeldy is a mecca for traditional whisky making. Built on land known for its wealth of gold deposits, this eternal bastion of malt whisky has been inviting visitors from around the world since the early 19th century. In his charming hometown, founder John Dewar surrounded himself with the people who held the secret to producing whisky of the highest quality. To this day, they continue to employ traditional techniques to reveal its exceptional honey notes by drawing water from the Pitilie Burn, renowned for its high purity and alluvial gold content.
Spring water with a hard mineral character gives ABERFELDY Single Malt its unique character, embodying the most powerful of Highland malts.
Born into a farming family, John Dewar was introduced to the wine and spirits trade by a distant cousin. His family then turned to whisky, and built their own distillery in Aberfeldy which, from the outset, was destined to be used in the composition of Dewar’s blended whisky. Before the construction of Aberfeldy began in 1896, a dozen distilleries had been built in the surrounding area, but none had benefited from the dynamism of Tommy Dewar, a forerunner in the marketing of Scotch whisky, who, between 1892 and 1894, toured the world in search of the best malts. This initiative proved decisive in the success of ABERFELDY, which was to become the leading single malt in Dewar’s blends.
Today, the new packaging pays tribute to its origins, playing on the contrast between deep black and pure gold. Specially created by hand, the illustrations depict the brand’s intrinsic features: the distillery, the Pitilie Burn, the Aberfeldy Bridge, John Dewar’s birthplace and the angels’ share.
THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Several aspects of the ABERFELDY whisky-making process are particularly noteworthy:
1. The exclusive use of Scottish barley, originally sourced from surrounding farms and now supplied by growers from all over the country.
2. The longer-than-usual fermentation produces more flavorful esters, giving ABERFELDY single malt its characteristic honey notes.
3. Maturation takes place in a combination of barrels, casks and vats, to preserve the aroma.
PRODUCTION
The Aberfeldy distillery has always employed local people who know the secrets of this superb Single Malt. Aberfeldy continues to use age-old techniques: long fermentation in traditional washbacks to reveal the exceptional honey notes.
MATURATION
The smoothness of the whisky is the product of several years’ ageing in handcrafted oak casks. The result is soft, gentle Single Malts, and lovers will appreciate the spicy, citrus notes with hints of vanilla that close each Golden Dram whisky.
Aberfeldy 12 years old
Best Highland Single Malt, 12 years old and under, World Whiskies Awards 2014 and one of Luxsure editors’ finest discoveries.
Color: full golden amber.
Nose: fragrant with notes of incense, nutmeg, heather and honey, and a fruity sweetness. Hints of cherry, pineapple, toast and raspberry jam. Slightly smoky.
Palate: medium-bodied, round and syrupy. Lively flavors of fresh fruit (tangerines and nectarines), butterscotch, cocoa powder, with a subtle touch of peat.
Finish: deep and velvety, with long, fruity reflections of Seville oranges in a slow, dry finish.
ABERFELDY 21 YEARS OLD
Best Highland Single Malt, World Whiskies Awards 2014
Color: amber with hints of gold.
Nose: moderately sweet aromas of heather honey and macadamia followed by a fruity orange sweetness with hints of beeswax and vanilla.
Palate: full-bodied, medium-bodied with hints of Seville orange, honey, oak and a trace of peat.
Finish: long, spicy with elegant drying and smoky notes.
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