Aberlour 16 Years Old 2003 Distillery Reserve Collection

By Barry Bradford on August 16, 2021 • ( Leave a comment )

Aberlour 16 Years Old 2003 The Distillery Reserve Collection Cask 9043

What they say

Distilled 13th February 2003 and matured for 16 Years until 3rd May 2019 in 1st fill sherry butt #9043. Produced 900 bottles at outturn at cask strength 59.1% ABV. Bottled by Chivas Brothers as part of their Distillery Reserve Collection.

What I say

Despite the craziness of Lockdown and Global Pandemics, 2021’s Spirit of Speyside festival attempted to forge ahead despite being resigned to an online format. Many thanks to my good friends at Chivas Brothers and Aberlour distillery for inviting me onto their Scotch Watch feature to take a look at a couple of Aberlour single cask bottlings that were part of the Distillery Reserve Collection. It seems only fitting on our 8th birthday to pen (sic!) our 500th Speyside whisky review on an absolute favourite distillery of mine and probably my gateway malt in terms of their standard 10 year old expression an Aberlour!

ABV 59.1%
Age 16 Years Old
Bottler Chivas Brothers
Bottling The Distillery Reserve Collection
Cask Sherry cask #9043
Category Single Malt Whisky
Cost £120
Origin Aberlour Distillery
Outturn 900 bottles
Region Speyside
Released 2019
Vintage 2003

My tasting notes

Appearance Ruby blood red (16/20), quick, medium-large tears and numerous thick legs.
Nose Heady, sherry fruits, waxed red apples, wood polish, raisin, plum, quince, cinnamon gobstoppers, baking spices, leather, walnut, milk chocolate, sweeter strawberries and candyfloss later, with water much more of that classic waxed red apples.
Taste Rich and spiced, medium-bodied, oily, some heat, beeswax, red apple, sherry, raisin, ‘rum’ woody and sugary, spiced, cinnamon, nutmeg, 5 spice powder, black pepper, dark chocolate, leather, tobacco and tannic oak wood.
Finish Long, spiced and drying, a touch vaporous, cinnamon and eucalyptus, apple strudel and peppery oak
Overall A little tannic and spicy at cask strength but water’s well. Throughout despite heavy sherry cask influence there was a constant note of fresh and waxed red apples, a superbly sherried Aberlour.