It’s only the second day of a shortened work week, but this Whisky Wednesday dram has been well-earned, so I picked a strong one.
Tonight I’m sipping on Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba, Batch 002. I had a bottle of Batch 001 in the early months of the pandemic, when closures and restrictions left me with little to do but expand my whisky palate, and it was the first Speyside malt that truly piqued my interest. Speyside whiskies tend toward a lighter, fruitier flavor profile with bits of spice. This whisky has fruit and spice, but light? No.
A’Bunadh Alba is distinct from the distillery’s A’Bunadh line in that it’s aged in ex-Bourbon American Oak barrels rather than Oloroso Sherry butts.
A’Bunadh is Scots Gaelic for “the original” and points to the distillery’s founder, James Fleming, who set the distillery near the banks of the River Spey in the late 1800s. Alba is also Gaelic, referring to the country that we know as Scotland. It’s pronounced al-a-bah (or al-a-pah) rather than al-buh, thanks to the secret Svarabhakti vowel tucked inside (see Actual Scottish Person Len Pennie for details).
The A’Bunadh Alba sits in the bottle at nearly 60% ABV, a cask-strength whisky with a solid burn and a color like golden honey. Apple pie, cinnamon, and honey tickle the nose and carry through to the palate. A bourbon-style woodiness tinged with warm fruit lingers on the tongue to finish it out.
This is a whisky you’ll feel as much as you taste. A few drops of water mellow out some of the harsher qualities and yet seem to heighten the whisky’s acidity at the same time.
It’s not a whisky for the feint of heart, but perfect for the longest short week ever.
Sláinte, y’all!
In My Glass
🥃
Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba Batch 002
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
NAS; 58.7% ABV
Scotland (Speyside)
On My Desk
1961 Lettera 22, Made in Glasgow
The Whisky Type 
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