Aberfeldy 18 Year Old Tuscan Red Wind Cask Scotch Review

By Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox

Rating: B

Finishing whiskies in a cask that previously held red wine is not the newest idea, but it is one that Stephanie Macleod, Dewar’s master blender and malt master for Dewar’s five malt distilleries (Aberfeldy included), is passionate about. With an interest in red wine, as well as whisky, she has set out to see what different casks from around the world can do to whisky, marrying two of her interests together into one whole. Tasting samples from the casks that the malt is finishing in every month, she takes an active role is determining what exactly the casks bring to the world of whisky, while ensuring that the malt is not overwhelmed by the strong red wines.

The first release in this collection was in 2019, a 15 Year dram that was finished in Pomerol wine casks from Bordeaux. Subsequent bottlings were released in 2020, and 2021, finished in different red wine barrels, though all still coming from either the Bordeaux or Rhone wine regions in France. The Tuscan Red Wine finished single malt is the newest bottling in the release, with another 15 Year Old malt finished in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon casks in the works.

The casks used in this release came from Bolgheri, a small region of Tuscany. The Tuscan region is typically known for their Chianti wines, though Bolgheri has the distinction of introducing the world’s first “Super Tuscan Wine’. The terrain in Bolgheri is similar to the Bordeaux region in France (rocky limestone near the Tyrrhenian Sea), allowing non-native grapes from France, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, to be grown and used in the regions wines. Knowing that the same grapes grow in both France and Italy, its easy to see why Stephanie landed on using casks from the Bolgheri region.

The Scotch
The single malt stands by it’s nickname “The Golden Dram,” on account of the alluvial gold deposits that have been found in the Pitilie Burn (the distillery’s water source). When nosing the liquid, a dense aroma comes out, with sherry cask notes and cacao.

On the palate, the malt is nice and oily, coating your whole tongue. Very woody but not overwhelming, some tannic bitterness mouthfeel on the tongue too. A nice touch of smoke, tobacco and a hint of mint in the back. The finish lasts a fair good while, with tobacco, cacao and that same touch of smoke. Adding a few drops of water helped the dense nose to open up slightly, letting out some of the dark fruit notes that Bolgheri wines are known for, though was slightly sharp. The nice mouthfeel unfortunately did suffer, feeling a little thin, but again, more dark fruits coming through behind all the denseness of the other notes. The finish is now chocolate, which morphs overtime into some herbal astringent qualities.

The idea to finish malts in red wine casks is an interesting idea, though hard to tell exactly how much it contributed to the final product. While the nose is a dense mess that’s hard to sort through, the palate is warm and inviting, with much complexity. Some water does help to open up the nose and palate, letting the Tuscan cask become more prevalent, yet it still seems like it could pull some more weight.

The Price
The newest release in the Aberfeldy Red Wine Cask Collection is priced at $129.99, but can be found for less with certain online retailers. However, it can also be seen marked up by as much as $20.