12 Year Old Double Cask Matured (700 ml)

Aberlour distillery has operated on the banks of the Lour Burn in the heart of Speyside since 1879, drawing process water from St. Drostan's Well — a source the distillery credits for the soft, mineral character that defines its house style. Double Cask Maturation is the defining technique here: spirit is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon American oak barrels and ex-oloroso sherry butts, then married before bottling. The bourbon casks contribute vanilla and orchard-fruit lift, while the oloroso butts layer dried fruit, marzipan, and warm spice. Bottled at 43% ABV, the expression is non-chill-filtered, preserving the fatty esters and natural oils that give the palate its weight and length — a deliberate departure from the lighter, filtered style common at this price tier. What separates this 12-year-old from most entry-level Speysides is the sherry component's visibility: the oloroso influence is structural rather than cosmetic, pushing the dried-fruit register well forward. The 12-year age statement delivers sufficient wood integration for immediate drinking, though the sherry-driven richness rewards an additional 15–20 minutes of air.