Aberfeldy 17 Years Old 1994 Cask #4027 (van Wees)

Distilled at Aberfeldy in 1994 and matured 17 years in a single ex Bourbon cask numbered 4027, bottled by van Wees in 2012 at 46% under The Ultimate indie line for the German specialist trade. 239 bottles in total. van Wees was founded in 1862 in Amersfoort as a wine and spirits merchant, and is among the oldest continuously operating independent firms in the European spirits trade. The Ultimate has been their dedicated indie bottling series since its launch in 1992.

Long fermentation Aberfeldy spirit from the four still post expansion configuration, distilled in 1994 in the United Distillers ownership era of the distillery. Filled into a single ex Bourbon cask and aged 17 years before bottling at 46% with reduced chill filtering and no caramel adjustment, the standard specification for The Ultimate range.

Seventeen years in refill American oak develops a balanced oak signature: vanillin from steady lignin breakdown, cis whisky lactones giving framed coconut and dill, and furfural plus 5 hydroxymethylfurfural from hemicellulose breakdown contributing caramel and toasted cereal. Aberfeldy's distillate character carries through with its medium chain ethyl ester profile and heavier alcohols giving the heather honey and beeswax core. At 46% the integration sits between younger 8 to 10 year ex Bourbon expressions and the older 25 year plus releases, neither under nor over woody.