Aberlour A'Bunadh batch #47. I'm getting into Scotch; I've always been big into peaty Islay Scotches, but my wife won't touch them, so I'm trying to ease her into accepting Scotch with some distinctly un-peaty drams. A'Bunadh is about as far as you can get from peat and still technically be drinking Scotch. It's deservedly referred to as a sherry monster; this thing is beastly (in the best possible sense). It's 121.4 proof, and the immediate taste is of sherry and fruit (and alcohol, really). But as you let it breathe, it starts to taste of chocolate and strawberries, with a strong caramel sweetness. An absolutely stunning drink, one that I would keep in regular rotation were I rich enough to do so.
Two marks against it. First the cap is covered in wax (as the picture shows), but there's not actually anything to get the wax off; I had to use a knife to cut through it to get to the delicious liquid contained within. Second, it's got a highly unpronounceable name, which makes it a nightmare to order in a bar, but the name is not quite interesting enough to rank up there in the upper echelon of the "you've got to be fucking kidding me" Scotch names; things like Bunnahabhain, or Bruichladdich, or Laphroaig, or most Ardbeg offerings (Corryvreckan, Airigh Nam Beist, Uigeadail, which, honestly, what the fuck Gaelic?). But neither of those complaints address the liquid in the bottle, which is otherworldly. As it stands, a strongly recommended special occasion drink. Just spectacular, one of the best Scotches I've ever had.