Cask-strength scotch offers more flavor per ounce, and it’s rarely on such fine display as here, the No.-5 whisky in the 2019 Top 20. Matured entirely in bourbon casks, Aberlour A’bunadh Alba is a counterpart to Aberlour A’bunadh, which is aged solely in sherry. The flavors are different—radically so—but the power and structure of Alba equals its sibling at every turn, showing a clean and precise profile that’s deceptive in its apparent simplicity. Take it from us: This is one whisky you’ll want to spend time with.
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