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Aberlour 1969, 30 years old

AVB

AVB

Jesus of Cool, I'm bad, I'm nationwide
Joined
Nov 14, 2003
Messages
23,422
Aberlour 1969 30 year old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky. Limited Edition, 750ml, 95.2 proof, no longer available, current price $600+.

Aberlour%201969%2030.JPG


Made only for the US and duty free there were some released in other parts of the world, I've been told only 150 but have no proof of that. Limited to 1000-1200 bottles total worldwide. If that is true I'll consider myself very fortunate to have owned 3 of them.

This was the "Surprise" in the Surprise Pass. I wish it was much bigger so that I could have shared it with more people. As it was, I took the names of everybody I thought would enjoy it and assigned them a number and then put the series in a random number generator to find the 10 who would participate. That was the most fair way to do it I thought. The selection came out pretty well with some noobs and a FOG or two and a bunch in the middle.

This release is a combination of 3 different sherry hogsheads (a hogshead is a barrel that holds just over 75 gallons) this yielded about 750 bottles at cask strength which was then cut to 95.2 proof. From this one can figure out how much was lost in evaporation (Angel's Share) and that works out to just about a third of the original filled barrels

The color is a dark copper, just like an old penny, in the bottle and only slightly lighter in the glass. Nosing brings up apples, sherry and a whiff of smoke. Tasting is at first honeyed vanilla which quickly changes to leather that morphs into something that resembles dried apricots but not that sweet and oak. At 95 proof the alcohol is noticeable but not over powering in the least. The finish is smooth with oak, sherry and leather again showing itself and lasts for a medium length of time.

By far one of, if not the best, most complex, sherried scotch that has ever crossed my lips. The only one I can think of that is close was a 1958 Macallan Anniversary Malt I had the privilege to try and that is even MORE expensive.

An ACE! :thumbs:

Hopefully we'll see some pictures and comments from the others.
 
WoW (drooooooool)! That sir is one he** of a bottling. I've been working on Ardbeg's The Beast lately but I thinks me have found a new treasure! To your good health brothers.
 
Dear lord that is quite a treat Ray. Thanks for another great review, I saw the title and about flipped out as I have heard this is an amazing and extremely rare pour. Very nice of you to share it as well!
 
Oooooohhhh my!! This is one of my all time favorite scotches. I can't even begin to imagine a dram of the 1969! That's a VERY good year I might add (wife was born in 69 :D ). Simply wow.
 
I was one of the fortunate folks that was in on this pass, and I had the privilege and pleasure of tasting this rare beverage. I wondered out loud while tasting if it was being wasted on a palate as "rookie" as mine was, but I didn't slow down due to my concerns..... :p

I can't expand too much more on the flavors Ray described; I tasted a bouquet of fruit, and a quality of blend I've never experienced. More apples and berries with a touch of vanilla (weird, I know) than raisins or other tastes I've experienced. Just an amazing nose on this one. And, smooth.....wow. Drawing a little air over my tongue after a sip revealed even more complexity and depth of flavors; really something to have experienced.

I'll add one other observation from the beginner seats. One of the things that has always appealed to me be it cigars, scotch, wine, food, etc. is a complexity of flavor. This had that in spades but there was something more to it; it was a sophistication, a subtlety to the flavors that was really compelling. If I use the Cheiftain as an example, it's lots more "in your face" and it's certanly got lots of complexity and flavors...but it sure doesn't present them like this did. The layers and flavors and complexity of this remarkable scotch reminded me of the appearance of a piece of perfectly finished, fine burled walnut. It may not be the first thing you notice in the room, but a close look reveals a complexity and detail that's unmistakable. The closer you look, the more you notice....the deeper the detail and intricacy go.

Ray, I can't say thanks enough for the experience of this fine beverage. Something I'll remember, to be sure...... :cool:

Cheers, gentlemen - B.B.S.
 
Thanks for the kind words Tom, you did just fine on the review too.
 
....thank you, Ray... :blush:

I guess to amplify my comments, the thing that struck me most was the "subtle complexity" of this fine dram. Something very special and very unique to me, to be sure.

Cheers, guys - B.B.S.
 
I was also one of the members lucky enough to experience this fine dram. It made for a very special evening to say the least. While I consider myself a little more experienced than BBS, it's no secret I pale in comparison to AVB.

I must have nosed this one for close to 10 minutes before taking that 1st heavenly taste. I wasn't in a hurry, what can I say. During that time I was able to detect apples, sherry with just a hint of smoke & what I thought was a breath of peat. After several tastes I found vanilla, honey, fruit, oak along with a light amount of spice on the back end. I want to say nutmeg.



I would never guess the alcohol content was as high as the bottle says. Simply put, there is so much going on with this whisky the higher alcohol content doesn't come close to masking the complexity of flavors. This stuff is awesome!



I nursed my drink for close to 40 minutes before lighting a Winston Churchill Robusto, which if I do say so myself paired up very well with the remainder of what was in the bottom of my glass.


I read somewhere you don't drink whisky like this one, you experience it. In that vein I'd like to add this was one of the best experiences of my life and not something I'll ever forget.

Thanks again Ray.
It doesn't get any better than this!
 
I was also very lucky to be able to enjoy a dram of this fine Scotch, courtsey of a great BOTL, Ray.

It was a very memorable experience for me, being able to try this scotch. I can't recall what I even smoked with this scotch, but the scotch was the highlight of that evening.

I will have to agree with Ray that it is one of the most complex scotches I have ever had. From the nosing to the initial taste, to the finish, it seemed it all came in waves. From the apple and sherry aromas that Ray describes, to the slighltly sweet, sherrry and leather flavor with the right amount of smokeiness, to the long lingering finish on the palatte. I was able to enjoy the complex flavors as they rolled in rather than all the tastes stacked upon each other. Never overpowering, but just strong enough to warm the soul. I had to nose the scotch each and every time I took a sip so I could get the most out of the experience.

I only took as much as per the instructions, but I must say, I had to quickly bury the bottle in the bottom of the box pass to reduce the temptation of another pour.

Thank you yet again, Ray, for sharing this experience with myself and the others in the pass.
 
I was also gifted a fine Dram of this wonderful Scotch by our good brother Ray! I've been enjoying a Scotch for almost three years now and I have to say that this is without a doubt one of the most complex malts I've had the privilege of drinking. I poured this from the shot glass to my Ridel and just like Mike, boxed it back up so the other Scotch hounds wouldn't get the wrong idea(that I had bought a new bottle, have a sip!?!). Liquid magic, fruit sweetness, carmeled apricots. It was most assuredly Aberlour but distinctly different from the Abunadh that I'm used to. Deep sherry notes, from the back of my tongue, chocolate raisins. No alcohol burn from either the nose or the sip. The nose on this is just amazing(I'd wear it as cologne if they made it). Fruits and the light oakiness that remind me of the long summer days outside. Fresh rain, wet grass, wood burning stove from a long distance away! What I would imagine Scotland smell like after a brief shower. A palate full of the best of the best! I nursed this for over three hours(being at work didn't help). Thank you again Ray for including me in this wonderful pass and this wonderful Dram!
 
I don't have too much to add here.
It was a completely unique experience.

The smoothness was ridiculous!
Dare I say too smooth?
If I owned a bottle it would be dangerous because I could easily knock off half of a bottle to the whole thing in one sitting!

I didn't take notes but I remember sipping away while reading the tasting notes in the box and thinking that the comments were spot on.
Ray could you post what is said in the box please?

Thanks for such a rare opportunity to try a Scotch unlike any other I've had the opportunity to sample!

-Rob
 
First of all, thank you Ray for letting me be in this very special pass. I don't have much to add when it comes to the smells and tastes of this dram. However, I seemed to have had an unique experience. I felt this scotch. It happened right after the initial tastes of vanilla, honey, and sherry. Out of nowhere, there was this explosion of flavors, that could be felt as well as tasted. All the receptors in my mouth were stimulated. I have never experienced this before, and it happened with every sip. Truly, a singular event.

Doc.
 
I don't really have a lot to add to the above reviews. This scotch was definitely a treat - the most intensely flavored whisky I've had. As BBS said, though, it's not an aggressive intensity (e.g. Laphroaig), it's a subtle thing, that just builds and builds and builds. The predominant flavor for me was oak, followed by the fruity sweetness of highly sherried malts. Ripe berries were the most common fruit I got out of this, but it was so complex that I think you could probably pick out hints of any fruit you could think of. There was a whisper of smoke, just enough to notice once in a while, but never more. If you've drunk other expressions of Aberlour, the family resemblance is definitely present, but this dram is far beyond any other Aberlour I've ever had.

Ray, I can't say thank you enough for the opportunity to experience this very special whisky!
 
I, too, had the privilege of sampling a "wee-dram" of this wonderful nectar. I am sure that my sense did not pick up the true subtleties of this scotch, but here are my thoughts none-the-less.

The nose was wonderful, with fruit and honey predominant. The fruit was mostly slightly tart apple and not-yet-ripe pear. The honey was not cloying in the least, but clean and appealing. There was just a hint of malt on the nose as well...just the least bit sweet/sour. I typically drop a single small ice cube in my scotch, but nary a bit of ice or water ever touched this. My overall impression of this scotch was that it was elegant and easily the smoothest single malt that I have ever tried. The flavors were complex as well, introducing honey sweetness, fruity, light sherry/wine overtones, and sweet malt dancing across my taste buds. The finish was long and very clean, with both a sweet and savory component.

Truly one of the best scotches that I have ever had the opportunity to try. [INSERT - Of course, all of other top 5 or so scotches that I have sampled have also been compliments of Ray.]

Thank you for sharing this rare treat.
 
Wonderful reviews gentlemen. Just a few more and this pass will be totally completed and I'll have to think up something for the next one :)
 
I used to drink the 10 yo 20 yrs ago.

To excess, I'm afraid. :p
 
What a slacker I've been. Had my marching orders to review this precious gift given by a very fine gentleman. I did get to it but I'm next to last to post, although I was probably the last to have the sample, so that is my excuse and I'll stick to it.

I also can't add more than has been said, but will add that the fruitiness of this dram was very elegant in that it was sweet and slightly tart. I see that Cigardawg also used the word elegant, which came to mind while I was writing my notes on this.

Ray thank you for sharing this rare bottle with so many of us. :thumbs:
 
Ray,

I FINALLY had an opportunity to enjoy this fine Scotch you were so kind to send me.

The nose is magnificent. I can clearly detect apples, smoke, and an over-riding aroma of oak.

It's incredibly smooth, with absolutely no burn in the end. I particularly enjoyed the leathery taste, with just a subtle hint of vanilla.

I thank you again for be so thoughtful as to send me a taste of this Scotch, and apologize for taking so long to have an opportunity to enjoy it.


Michael
 
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