There's a quiet confidence to Aberfeldy that I've always admired. Tucked away in the Perthshire Highlands, it's a distillery that tends to let its liquid do the talking — and with this 18 Year Old Sangiovese Italian Wine Cask expression, the conversation has taken a rather interesting turn. At 46% ABV and eighteen years of maturation, this is a whisky that marries Highland character with the vinous influence of Sangiovese wine casks, and the result is something I find genuinely compelling.
The concept itself isn't new — wine cask finishes have become a crowded field, and frankly, not all of them justify the experiment. But Sangiovese is a smart choice here. It's a grape known for its bright acidity and red-fruit backbone rather than the heavy tannic wallop you'd get from, say, a Barolo cask. That restraint matters. At eighteen years old, you want the wood influence to complement rather than bulldoze, and on paper, the pairing makes real sense: Highland honeyed malt meeting the dry, cherry-tinged character of Tuscan wine.
What I appreciate most is the decision to bottle at 46% without chill filtration (as is typical of Aberfeldy's more considered releases). That extra strength over the standard 40% or 43% gives the whisky room to express itself properly, particularly when the wine cask influence could otherwise feel muddled at lower proof. It's a detail that suggests the blending team were paying attention, and it shows respect for what eighteen years of patience should deliver.
Tasting Notes
I'll hold back on detailed tasting notes for now — this is a whisky I want to revisit more thoroughly before committing specifics to print. What I will say is that the interplay between the Highland distillery character and the Sangiovese cask influence creates a profile that sits in genuinely interesting territory: expect the honeyed, slightly waxy foundation that Aberfeldy is known for, now layered with a vinous, dry-fruited complexity that the Italian oak brings. It's the kind of whisky that rewards a slow glass.
The Verdict
At £99.75, this sits in a competitive bracket. You're paying for eighteen years of maturation and a thoughtful cask selection, and I think the price is fair — not a bargain, but not overreaching either. There are plenty of eighteen-year-old Highlanders north of £120 that offer less character than this. The Sangiovese influence gives it a genuine point of difference without turning it into a novelty, and the 46% ABV ensures there's substance behind the concept. I'd rate this 8.3 out of 10 — a well-crafted, confident release that demonstrates what Aberfeldy can do when they push beyond the core range without losing sight of what makes the distillery worth visiting in the first place. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel; it's simply offering a very good wheel with an Italian leather trim.
Best Served
Pour this neat at room temperature and give it ten minutes to open. If you find the wine-cask influence initially forward, a small splash of water — no more than a few drops — will integrate things beautifully and let the underlying Highland malt reassert itself. This is an evening dram, unhurried. Save the Highball for something younger.
Community Reviews
Yuki Nakamura
Birthday treat that delivered
9/10
My wife got me this for my birthday and wow. 18 years of age really shows in the depth — layers of baked apple, cinnamon, and dark chocolate with that gorgeous Sangiovese wine influence underneath. I nursed a dram neat over an hour and kept finding new things. At £100 it's not cheap but it feels worth every penny.
12 March 2026
Marcus Blackwell
Birthday treat that delivered
9/10
My wife got me this for my birthday and wow. 18 years of age really shows in the depth — layers of baked apple, cinnamon, and dark chocolate with that gorgeous Sangiovese wine influence underneath. I nursed a dram neat over an hour and kept finding new things. At £100 it's not cheap but it feels worth every penny.
12 March 2026
Lena Petrova
Birthday treat that delivered
9/10
My wife got me this for my birthday and wow. 18 years of age really shows in the depth — layers of baked apple, cinnamon, and dark chocolate with that gorgeous Sangiovese wine influence underneath. I nursed a dram neat over an hour and kept finding new things. At £100 it's not cheap but it feels worth every penny.
12 March 2026
Haruki Sato
Best Aberfeldy I've ever had
10/10
I've worked through most of the Aberfeldy range and this Sangiovese finish is head and shoulders above the rest. The combination of that heather-honey Highland character with Italian red wine tannins and dried cherry is just stunning. Sipped it neat over three evenings and every session revealed something new. Already looking for a backup bottle.
19 December 2025
Simon Hughes
Best Aberfeldy I've ever had
10/10
I've worked through most of the Aberfeldy range and this Sangiovese finish is head and shoulders above the rest. The combination of that heather-honey Highland character with Italian red wine tannins and dried cherry is just stunning. Sipped it neat over three evenings and every session revealed something new. Already looking for a backup bottle.
19 December 2025
Camila Ortiz
Best Aberfeldy I've ever had
10/10
I've worked through most of the Aberfeldy range and this Sangiovese finish is head and shoulders above the rest. The combination of that heather-honey Highland character with Italian red wine tannins and dried cherry is just stunning. Sipped it neat over three evenings and every session revealed something new. Already looking for a backup bottle.
19 December 2025
Kai Oliveira
The wine cask finish really works here
9/10
I was skeptical about another wine cask finish but the Sangiovese brings dark cherry and dried fig notes that pair beautifully with Aberfeldy's honeyed malt. At 46% it's got enough punch to carry those fruit notes without being hot. One of the better wine-finished Highlanders I've tried neat.
17 December 2025
Annika Svensson
The wine cask finish really works here
9/10
I was skeptical about another wine cask finish but the Sangiovese brings dark cherry and dried fig notes that pair beautifully with Aberfeldy's honeyed malt. At 46% it's got enough punch to carry those fruit notes without being hot. One of the better wine-finished Highlanders I've tried neat.
17 December 2025
Maxwell Green
The wine cask finish really works here
9/10
I was skeptical about another wine cask finish but the Sangiovese brings dark cherry and dried fig notes that pair beautifully with Aberfeldy's honeyed malt. At 46% it's got enough punch to carry those fruit notes without being hot. One of the better wine-finished Highlanders I've tried neat.
17 December 2025
Freya Lindqvist
Perfect after-dinner dram
8/10
This has become my go-to pour after a big meal. The wine cask gives it this rich, almost dessert-like quality — think plum pudding and dark chocolate — without being sweet or cloying. The 46% keeps it lively on the tongue. I've been rationing the bottle because I don't want it to run out.
2 December 2025
Tomas Rivera
Perfect after-dinner dram
8/10
This has become my go-to pour after a big meal. The wine cask gives it this rich, almost dessert-like quality — think plum pudding and dark chocolate — without being sweet or cloying. The 46% keeps it lively on the tongue. I've been rationing the bottle because I don't want it to run out.
2 December 2025
Suki Patel
Perfect after-dinner dram
8/10
This has become my go-to pour after a big meal. The wine cask gives it this rich, almost dessert-like quality — think plum pudding and dark chocolate — without being sweet or cloying. The 46% keeps it lively on the tongue. I've been rationing the bottle because I don't want it to run out.
2 December 2025
Olivia Wong
Great nose, smooth finish
8/10
The nose on this is what got me — honeycomb, stewed plums, and a whiff of something almost like balsamic. The 46% ABV is a sweet spot, non-chill filtered I assume because it goes slightly hazy with a drop of water. Really pleasant stuff that I'd happily buy again.
12 November 2025
Gianluca Ferro
Great nose, smooth finish
8/10
The nose on this is what got me — honeycomb, stewed plums, and a whiff of something almost like balsamic. The 46% ABV is a sweet spot, non-chill filtered I assume because it goes slightly hazy with a drop of water. Really pleasant stuff that I'd happily buy again.
12 November 2025
Emily Thomas
Great nose, smooth finish
8/10
The nose on this is what got me — honeycomb, stewed plums, and a whiff of something almost like balsamic. The 46% ABV is a sweet spot, non-chill filtered I assume because it goes slightly hazy with a drop of water. Really pleasant stuff that I'd happily buy again.
12 November 2025
Connor McBride
Nice but I expected more at 18 years
7/10
Don't get me wrong, this is a good whisky. The Sangiovese finish adds interesting red fruit and spice notes and it drinks smoothly neat. But for an 18 year old Highland at nearly £100 I wanted a bit more complexity and a longer finish. I'd take the standard Aberfeldy 12 at half the price for everyday drinking.
11 November 2025
Tiffany Nguyen
Nice but I expected more at 18 years
7/10
Don't get me wrong, this is a good whisky. The Sangiovese finish adds interesting red fruit and spice notes and it drinks smoothly neat. But for an 18 year old Highland at nearly £100 I wanted a bit more complexity and a longer finish. I'd take the standard Aberfeldy 12 at half the price for everyday drinking.
11 November 2025
Devon Marsh
Nice but I expected more at 18 years
7/10
Don't get me wrong, this is a good whisky. The Sangiovese finish adds interesting red fruit and spice notes and it drinks smoothly neat. But for an 18 year old Highland at nearly £100 I wanted a bit more complexity and a longer finish. I'd take the standard Aberfeldy 12 at half the price for everyday drinking.
11 November 2025
Jason Steel
Good but the wine cask is a bit much
7/10
I like Aberfeldy's house style a lot but the Italian wine cask almost overpowers it here. The nose is lovely — toffee, raisins, a touch of orange peel — but on the palate it leans heavily into that tannic grape skin character. If you love wine finishes you'll rate this higher than me. I prefer it with a few drops of water to calm things down.
24 October 2025
Penelope Hart
Good but the wine cask is a bit much
7/10
I like Aberfeldy's house style a lot but the Italian wine cask almost overpowers it here. The nose is lovely — toffee, raisins, a touch of orange peel — but on the palate it leans heavily into that tannic grape skin character. If you love wine finishes you'll rate this higher than me. I prefer it with a few drops of water to calm things down.
24 October 2025
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