A'Bunadh means 'originally', while Alba has a double meaning: directly translated as 'Scotland', the term also refers to the Latin 'quercus alba', in other words, white oak. A'bunadh Alba is an atypical heir to the famous Aberlour distillate, aged exclusively in hand-selected first-fill American oak casks. The result is what Graeme Cruickshank , Aberlour's master distiller, describes as 'notes of caramelized apple and tarte tatin balanced by a lighter floral note from the distillate's alcohol'.
Nose: Intense with a burst of charcoal, creosote, tar and molasses caramel, with curious herbal notes, such as fennel, celery and green peppers. Once these disappear, there are notes of milk chocolate, anise and wood smoke.
T: Molasses caramel, anise, salted caramel chocolate, eucalyptus, menthol and briarwood, to name but a few. The 'tingling' and peppery mouthfeel continues, with sweeter flavors giving way to more savory notes like charcoal, smoky bacon, toast and tar.
Finish: The aftertaste is long and lingering, with a touch of peppermint and clove.
Nose: Intense notes of peat, smoke and dried fruit emerge on the nose, foreshadowing a robust and complex taste experience. Mouth: On the palate, this Lagavulin 12-Year-Old reveals deep flavors of caramel, vanilla and spice, balanced by a subtle touch of sea salt. Finish: The finish is long and warm, leaving lingering notes of peat and burnt oak on the palate.
Nose: Sweet and delicate, a little spicy and deeply exotic. Viney, suggesting white grapes and Manzanilla sherry, then becomes lush, floral and fruity. A hint of vanilla caramel gradually appears. A drop of water lifts the citrus notes and adds hints of sweet caramel.
Mouth: The texture is soft and creamy, the taste is slightly sweet and fruity. It then becomes more lively, with acidity and spicy, peppery, drying tannins. A drop of water initially brings out the fruitiness without diminishing the spice.
Finish: Medium to long, finishing on a dry, tongue-tingling, warmly spicy note with fruity acidity and a pinch of white pepper.