more 25 year old malts review this week (more coming tomorrow), and today with a rather different 25 year old : the new Aultmore.
Only released lately, it is a part of the “Last Great Malts” series of whiskies by Bacardi. This is the oldest in the range (consisting of 12, 21,25) and is quite expensive at almost 300 quid (350 EUR or so). Is it worth this high price tag? I set to found out just that…
Aultmore 25-year-old ,46% abv , £296 (at TWE)
Nose: Nice and fruity without a lot of wood. Some marshmallow candy sweetness, ripe fruit (think pear and peaches) and also a nice malty, yet green feel to it, some almonds, and maybe marzipan, a hint of fudge too. Overall – it’s a classy note. I am missing some wood varnish and oak notes i love in older drams, though.
Palate: We’re getting more oak here for sure. some fudge, and creamy vanilla, butter even. Quite thick and mouth coating really, as the cereals and sugars come through. it’s also quite floral and aromatic, with a bit of Lavender on the 2nd wave of flavors, as well as dark chocolate and cocoa. rather “wide” in flavors which is nice, layered and complex, and it had better be for this price…
Finish: More barley, and some floral qualities too. bitter sweet ending. warming and dry.
Conclusion
This is a very good whisky, no doubt. It’s complex, balanced, and impressive, however It will not be among my first picks If I would be in the market for a mature 20’s something whisky. First of all, It’s lacking the old wood notes I love in many older whiskies, but I do sometimes want something a bit different. The price is the main issue over here. 300 quid is a lot of money for a 25 year old whisky at 46%… When you can get the Exceptional Highland Park 25 or Bunnahabhain 25 for 100 quid less, or many other superb whiskies at the same age , I find it really hard to recommend this whisky. If only pricing was lower.
The bottle itself looks lovely (too familiar maybe?), and the liquid is top class,but not quite in the 90’s for me..
Available at The Whisky Exchange for 296 quid.
Score: 89/100
Official sample provided by Aultmore (Bacardi)