Batches : Aberlour A'Bunadh

Distilleries often release whisky in batches, the same name but subtly different recipes, ABVs, maturation periods etc. In this new, occasional series, I'm going to review a number of different Batches in my Side-by-side format to see if I can detect any differences, does each batch get better or are they to all intents and purposes the same?

This time I'll be reviewing batches #14, #59 and #61 of A'Bunadh from @AberlourVC distillery, what differences are there?
Aberlour distillery is located in the heart of Speyside. Founded in 1879 it's now part of the Pernod Ricard empire. It's 4 stills give it a capacity of 3.8m litres of alcohol per year. It's spirit is matured in a combination of ex-Oloroso and ex-bourbon casks at 12, 16 and 18yo at between 40% and 43% ABV.

Photo: Marie E.

This review is looking at their NAS cask strength A'Bunadh, matured exclusively in seasoned sherried butts, which has been released on a regular basis since 1997.

Meaning 'the original' in Gaelic, A'bunadh is made in homage to Aberlour's founder, James Fleming. A’bunadh is a whisky hand-made from start to finish with each batch being created to ensure a rich and complex flavour of moist raisin, and homemade fruit cake. It is bottled at cask strength resulting in a robust and deeply intense, sherried whisky.

Dram	Batch #14 (2005)	Batch #59 (2017)	Batch #61 (2017)
Characteristics (Shared)	NAS Natural colour NCF Cask Strength
Characteristics (Different)	59.5% ABV	60.9% ABV	60.8% ABV
Distillery info	Nose: Aromas of mixed spices, praline and spiced orange harmonising with rich, deep notes of Oloroso Sherry. Palate: Orange, black cherries, dried fruit and ginger spiked with dark bitter chocolate and enriched with Sherry and Oak. Full bodied and creamy. Finish: Robust and intense with bitter-sweet notes of exotic spices, dark chocolate and oak.
My thoughts:
Appearance	Not that you can tell but glasses are in reverse order!
	Dark reddy gold in the glass, swirls stick like a thin hairline crack in the glass, taking a while to bead up and eventually falling as slow thick legs.
Nose	Huge sherry notes straight from the off - strawberry jam, dunnage warehouse, musty book store, dried fruit and a little touch of citrus. A little time in the glass offers toffee and a mellowing of the citrus note into orange.	The #59 is a little sweeter on the nose, it shares all the same sherry notes but the citrus is replaced by a little tropical fruit. A little time in the glass enhances the dunnage warehouse notes - nice!	The #61 is very much the same as the #59 but with a slightly dryer note. A little time in the glass gain enhances the dunnage warehouse notes but also the strawberry jam seems to get richer.
Palate	Thick syrupy arrival, lots of peppery spice fizzing on the tongue and an instant dryness. Sherry bomb notes again - strawberry jam, dried fruit and a little toffee.There's a slightly bitter dark chocolate note as the liquid disappears.	Again thick and syrupy, lots of spice but this time with more tropical fruit notes instead of the dryness - it's like banoffee pie. The sweetness from the nose shows through as red berries and there's a chocolate covered raisin note with this batch - it's not as bitter as the #14.	Again thick and syrupy - a little sweeter and not as spicy as the #59. More of the red berry and banoffee pie notes, the dark chocolate bitterness is back too.
Finish	Long dry and spicy, slightly oaky with red berries. Nice!	Again long and dry but this one adds a nutty note along side the spice - Nice!	Similar to the #59 and with the same nutty note on the finish. Nice!
Overall	This is an excellent dram, all batches are slightly different but all show the same basic DNA - sherry bomb! If you can get a reasonable price bottle just do it. Now I'm trying really hard to forget about the recent inflation busting price increase part way through release of batch #61 but it will probably be the last one I buy....

Many thanks to @ocdwhisky for the Batch #14 sample!

Geeky stuff:

A'Bunadh Batches
Batch	Released	ABV
66	2019	59.2%
65	2019	59.5%
64	2019	59.9%
63	2018	61.0%
62	2018	59.9%
61	2017	60.8%
60	2017	60.3%
59	2017	60.9%
58	2017	61.1%
57	2016	60.7%
56	2016	61.2%
55	2016	60.9%
54	2016	60.7%
53	2015	59.7%
52	2015	60.5%
51	2015	60.8%
50	2014	59.6%
49	2014	60.1%
48	2014	59.7%
47	2014	60.7%
46	2013	60.4%
45	2013	60.2%
44	2012	59.7%
42	2012	60.3%
41	2012	59.0%
40	2012	60.0%
39	2012	59.8%
38	2011	60.3%
37	2011	59.6%
36	2011	60.1%
35	2011	60.3%
34	2010	59.5%
33	2010	60.9%
32	2010	60.4%
31	2010	60.5%
30	2010	59.8%
29	2010	59.9%
28	2009	59.7%
27	2009	60.1%
26	2009	60.6%
25	2008	60.4%
24	2008	60.2%
23	2008	60.2%
22	2008	59.3%
21	2008	59.5%
20	2007	60.5%
19	2007	59.9%
18	2006	59.7%
17	2006	60.2%
16	2005	59.6%
15	2005	59.6%
14	2005	59.5%
13	2004	59.8%
12	2004	60.0%
11	2003	59.8%
10	2003	59.8%
9	2002	60.0%
8	2001	60.2%
7	2000	59.9%
6	1999	59.9%
5	1997	59.6%
4	1997	59.6%
3	1997	59.6%
2	1997	59.6%
1	1997	59.6%