Aberargie Inaugural single malt: nice to get acquainted!
This is a special moment, because I have the great honour to taste for the first time a whisky from a new distillery. We are sipping from Aberargie single malt whisky today! This enterprise has not been started by just anyone. We are reaping the benefits of a whisky family steeped in history. The Morrison family of which I speak was once very much tied to the Bowmore Distillery on Islay. The ties go back to 1963, making Bowmore the foundation of the Morrison family business. Stanley P. Morrison sold their final share to Suntory in 1994. Through the years, we have seen whisky coming back on the menu, when next generations embraced independent bottling. And of course, their Old Perth blended malts are very well-known for excellent sherry maturation. Plans for the Aberargie Distillery were announced in 2014. The first cask was filled in November 2017.
Aberargie has shown great restraint to not bottle any whisky, until now. In the Whiskybase we found only one entry, a single bottle drawn from cask # 1 for the Distillers One of One Auction 2021. So imagine the excitement when finally an inaugural release was announced! I ordered my bottles straight away. The Dutch importer Whisky Import Nederland organised a fun tasting during the Hielander Whisky Festival in Alkmaar a few weeks ago. Sadly, we could not attend, having just returned from Scotland, but WIN was kind enough to send me some samples. As I understand it, these are a deconstructed version of the cask makeup for the Inaugural Release. We are going to taste all three, to experience a thorough introduction to Aberargie.
Aberargie is a Perthshire malt but unlike familiar names like Aberfeldy and Blair Athol, the distillery is located south of Perth, and truly on the border between the Highland and Lowland line. The debate about terroir will probably never be resolved in whisky, but in any case, Aberargie uses Golden Promise and Laureate barley from their own farms, that is distilled and then matured in first fill bourbon and sherry casks. Especially the use of Golden Promise carries weight, as it is considered a truly royal grain for whisky distillation.
Aberargie Inaugural, bottled at 48,2 % abv
First things first: This is the first small batch single malt whisky release of Aberargie, a farm distillery that uses an almost 50-50 % mix of Golden Promise and Laureat barley that matured in first fill sherry and first fill bourbon casks for this expression.
Upon Sipping: The Inaugural is balanced between the two cask types. This tasting note straight from an opened bottle. The sherried component is dominant on the nose, with figs, sultana, red apples, deep purple cherries, all very fragrant. Some whiffs of grass and mud under your boot on an early spring day, like we have plenty as the moment from where I am sitting. For a young malt, this can easily pass as a whisky twice as mature. Perfect balance. On repeated sniffs, I pick up some apricot. The taste is juicy with red fruit, but on the back of the palate you will pick up the influence of the bourbon cask component, which features a strong barley note. Aberargie puts the agricultural element to the foreground, testament for some great balancing of the cask recipe. In general, it is the sherry that does the talking, but the bourbon does the lifting. I adore the hints of sweet chocolate towards the finish, before a velvety goodbye leaves you wanting more. With a tiny drop of water, you release some nuances that add even more charm, mostly on chocolate notes, but also a hint of banana and a layer of ozone.
Word to the Wise: A dream debut for the Aberargie Distillery. Not only talk, but also delivering on the promise that this is a product of an agricultural process. Well done!
Score: 88 points.
Aberargie from a bourbon cask, bottled at 48,2 % abv
First things first: This is one part that makes up the Aberargie Inaugural, the bourbon component, consistent of 52 % Golden Promise barley and 48 % Laureat barley.
Upon Sipping: Strong vanilla soul, obviously, but the grain is certainly noticeable. This comes to the foreground in the shape of modest lemons, citrus spray, yellow candy (Napoleon Bonbon), with a distinct acidic note. Very pure and grounded in farmland. This almost feels as if it came straight from the still. I understand this whisky is a little over 8 years old, and indeed it did balance itself out with maturation. The palate is spoiled with a surprisingly dry character, all on fresh barley notes mixed with vanilla and – exactly as the nose predicted – acidic flavours that carry this Aberargie bourbon sample to the finish. On repeated sniffing and sipping, I can safely conclude that this is more a Lowland single malt than a Highland, making it quite unique among the Perthshire malts. The grassy notes mixed with some sunflower oil vibes carry a typical signature. The Lowland farm distillery of Daftmill is actually not too far from Aberargie, just a 25 minute drive, and somehow it feels like these two are a great match.
Word to the Wise: Immediately a high class Lowland single malt in the same category as Daftmill. With both producers you can feel the soul of the farmer in their products. Aberargie presents a terrific barley forward single malt. Pure, authentic, no fuzz.
Score: 85 points.
Aberargie from a sherry cask, bottled at 48,2 % abv
First things first: This is the other part that makes up the Aberargie Inaugural, the sherry component, consistent of 52 % Golden Promise barley and 48 % Laureat barley.
Upon Sipping: Sticking my nose in the glass, I am strongly reminded of how I once compared the bourbon and sherried Eden Mill releases. The route for these two Aberargie samples is exactly the same. The freshness of the bourbon casks throws it shadow over the sherry, that is more complex but also has some rough edges. With more time in the glass, more classic sherried notes come through, with some nice raisins but more heavily leaning on spices and leather. Every time I return to the glass, the power increases, with sultana cookies and honey drizzle on a warm croissant. Hints of apricot makes me dream of a terrace in the sun somewhere in the south of France. Less farm clothes, more evening gown. I notice I have not even sipped yet! On the tongue, the Aberargie from sherry casks is more full-bodied compared to the bourbon expression. It carries some chocolate and light smoke even, turning into caramel and an ultrasoft finish. A rougher edge when you swallow offers the body you look for in a young malt.
Word to the Wise: I was sceptical after the first impression, but that is why we take our time with our samples. The sherried version needed time to bloom, but when it did, it surpassed the bourbon version with ease, offering more complexity and making it more luscious than the rather dry bourbon. (For your information, I got the cask samples before I tasted the Inaugural, so at this point I was incredibly curious to see how that one would go on to taste!).
Score: 87 points.