Aberfeldy 25 Years Old (Oloroso, 2023 Event)

An Aberfeldy 25 year old at 46% through Oloroso sherry cask maturation, bottled by John Dewar & Sons in 2023 as an event market release. Sits above the standard Limited Release 21 year Oloroso as a senior official sherry matured Aberfeldy expression. The 46% bottling format (above the standard 40% core range) and the event channel distribution mark this as a step up from the regular retail Oloroso 21 year. The event channel handles bottlings tied to industry events, festivals or trade gatherings rather than the standard specialist retail trade.

Long fermentation Aberfeldy spirit from the four still post expansion configuration, distilled in the late 1990s under United Distillers and early Bacardi ownership of the distillery. Matured 25 years in Oloroso sherry casks at the distillery's warehouses. Bottled at 46% with reduced chill filtering and minimal caramel adjustment, the elevated strength preserving more ester volatility than the 40% core range format.

Twenty five years in seasoned Oloroso butts drives heavy sherry chemistry development: melanoidins from prior sherry reduction in the staves contribute walnut and dried fig at the upper end, ellagitannins and gallic acid from European oak supply substantial tannin grip, sotolon development reaches its peak baked fruit and aged Cognac depth, and oxidative acetals develop walnut skin and bittersweet chocolate. Aberfeldy's house esters (ethyl laurate, ethyl myristate, heavier alcohols) hold the heather honey base through a quarter century of sherry contact, with 46% holding more of the ester signature than the standard 40% bottling format.