Sherry lovers unite! Aberlour had recently introduced a travel exclusive, The Suthainn. A sherry affinite whisky, drowsed and drowned in red wine goodness, that comes adorned in a flowy pistachio green. The thick neck, the stubby contours, and the dark caramel coloured liquid are all traditional Aberlour and we shall soon get to what’s housed inside too!

The Suthainn is a no age statement whisky, but does have a little secret tucked in the very essence that makes it what it is. Suthainn in Gaelic means “everlasting” and this is very much so, considering it’s so inherently tied in with the solera maturation technique.

Aged first in American and European sherry oak barrels, the matured spirit is then poured and vatted to be finished in a combination of sherry casks that form part of the Solera process. This fusion of newly aged spirits with older whiskies, some as old as the Solera casks themselves not only calms but smoothens out some of the harshness, resulting in a more harmonised, balanced and subtle spirit.

ABV : 48%

Eye : Tawny | Artificial Colouring| Non Chill Filtered

Nose : Burnt sugar, caramel and dried fruits; peaches, plums, red apples, poached pears and dark raisins. There’s a bit of grain, a pinch of earthy, charred wood and spice – pepper with a touch of cinnamon and a whisper of ginger.

Taste : Caramel, rum and raisins, cupped with spice. Stone fruits, dates with red wine influences, apples and milk chocolate interleaved with a bit of nuttiness, cinnamon and wood

Finish : Long | Caramel and woody combined with plums, dried fruits and some spice.

Dry on the palate with a more than decent mouth feel; the Suthainn comes raging in like a freight train with  sherried guns blazing! There’s viscosity, and with it inherent complexity, rich dried fruits, a hum of spice and an almost eerie atmosphere that echoes char and earth. Very multidimensional, very Speyside and very much Aberlour, showing off its penchant for all things sherry.

At AUD $134, it sits on the fence! Though a tad pricey, I could forgive this one, as this travel retail shows that muscle, grit and grunt cannot be reduced to a number (read as age statement). There’s maturity well concocted into this spirit, with an almost lovable and settling character, delivering flavour and a comforting after taste on the palate. No mistakes here if you happen to pick this up during your next run to the bottle-o! Get ready to be sherry-shocked!

Let me know how you go.  😁

Slainte!