by 
Aberlour Casg Annamh Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 48%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $115 (bottle).
Colour: Golden touch.
Nose: Fresh and creamy. Muted orange and lemon peels with soft notes of freshly baked buttery pastry.
Palate: Raw fresh honeycomb, juicy nectarines
Finish: A long but gentle fade; cinnamon, cloves and honey flavoured boiled lollies.
Comments: According to the label, Casg Annamh means “rare cask” in Gaelic. It then goes on to describe it as been selected from whisky matured in Oloroso sherry casks and two different types of American oak casks. Hardly rare. It would seem the Aberlour marketing department have gone a little off piste with the “rare cask” description and “Small Batch 0001” labelling, perhaps in an attempt to position it as more of a “craft” whisky? Regardless, if you approach this expecting something rare and quite different you’ll be a little disappointed.
It’s a pleasant enough dram, but it doesn’t really hit any great heights. It doesn’t have a huge sherry influence for which many Aberlour whiskies are known, so regular fans may be intrigued to try this to see a slightly different take on the usual house style.