The A'Bunadh range from Aberlour has earned its place as one of Speyside's most talked-about cask strength expressions, and Batch 59 does nothing to undermine that reputation. At a formidable 60.9% ABV, this is a whisky that announces itself the moment you remove the cork — unapologetically full-bodied and built around the kind of sherry cask influence that has become the series' calling card.
For the uninitiated, A'Bunadh — Gaelic for 'the original' — is Aberlour's non-age-statement, cask strength single malt matured exclusively in Oloroso sherry butts. Each batch is its own snapshot, and that's part of the appeal. You're not buying consistency so much as character, and Batch 59 has it in considerable measure. The NAS designation will put off some purists, and I understand the hesitation, but the depth of flavour here suggests maturation has not been rushed. This is not young spirit hiding behind heavy cask influence.
What to Expect
At nearly 61%, this is an intense pour. The sherry cask programme is the dominant force — expect dark dried fruit, Christmas cake richness, baking spice, and that particular weight that only well-selected Oloroso butts deliver. Aberlour's house style tends toward a certain softness even at high strength, and Batch 59 sits comfortably in that tradition. There is a muscular quality to it, but it never feels aggressive. The spirit carries its strength with surprising composure.
This is a whisky that rewards patience. A few drops of water open it up considerably, and I would strongly encourage experimentation here. The transformation from neat to diluted is one of the genuine pleasures of the A'Bunadh series — you effectively get two different drams from the same bottle.
The Verdict
At £140, Batch 59 sits at a price point that demands scrutiny. The A'Bunadh range has crept upward in recent years, and there was a time when these batches represented extraordinary value. That said, finding a well-made cask strength Speyside single malt with this level of sherry cask commitment is not as easy as it once was, and £140 remains competitive against comparable expressions from other distilleries chasing the same profile.
I'm giving Batch 59 a 7.9 out of 10. It is a thoroughly accomplished whisky — rich, rewarding, and built with clear purpose. It does exactly what the A'Bunadh series has always promised: full-strength, sherry-driven Speyside with no shortcuts. It falls just short of the heights reached by some of the truly exceptional batches in this series, but that is not a criticism so much as an acknowledgement of how high the bar has been set. For anyone who appreciates bold, sherried single malt, this is a bottle well worth owning.
Best Served
Pour it neat first and sit with it — get the full measure of what 60.9% delivers. Then add water, a few drops at a time, until you find your threshold. A proper Speyside at cask strength deserves that attention. If you're feeling generous with the bottle, a small measure with a single cube of ice on a cold evening is no bad thing either. Avoid cocktails entirely — this was not made to share the glass with anything but itself and perhaps a little water.
