[Sherry CS] Aberlour A'bunadh Batch 82 Review

A’bunadh is supposed to taste different batch to batch because the cask makeup shifts each time. I’d done Batch 84 already. This time I ordered a dram of Batch 82 at a bar in Jamsil. 61.2% ABV, 700ml.

The basics

Batch 82 is a cask strength single malt matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts from Jerez. Straight from the cask at 61.2%, non-chill filtered, no color. The A’bunadh formula stays the same across batches - Oloroso only, NCF, no coloring.

Batch 84 was around 61% too, so proof is basically identical. Enthusiasts insist each batch tastes noticeably different. Without a side-by-side, the gap didn’t feel dramatic to me. That said, the 61% punch is always welcome.

Tasting notes - Batch 82

Nose

Raise the glass and that dense sherry sweetness hits right away. Textbook A’bunadh. Behind it, the oily freshness of twisted orange peel layers in, which is genuinely great. For 61.2% the burn is milder than it should be, and a subtle nuttiness creeps in after a minute.

Palate

Cherry. Dried fruit. It floods the mouth on the first sip. Dried cranberry and dried fig lead with thick sweetness, with citrus acidity cutting in to stop it from going flat. A drop or two of water sharpens the cherry and lays a brown sugar base underneath. Full-on cask strength body and viscosity - that 61% texture filling the mouth is exactly why I keep ordering A’bunadh.

Finish

Spice kicks in. Cinnamon, clove, a touch of pepper rolling warmly down the throat. Over that, a bittersweet dark chocolate echo hangs on, and I really liked this combination. Spice first, then the chocolate coating slowly fading. Long enough that you can sip it and sit with it for a while.

Food pairings

• Dark chocolate (70%+) - Hooks straight into the dark chocolate note in the finish. Sherry sweetness against cacao bitterness amplifies both
• Orange peel chocolate - If you want to play up Batch 82’s orange edge, this is the sharper pairing. Something like Terry’s works

Takeaway

Honestly, there wasn’t a huge gap between this and Batch 84. Didn’t taste them side by side, and my palate isn’t sharp enough to break down batch differences from a single pour anyway. But the core A’bunadh thing - dense Oloroso sherry with over 60% alcohol owning the whole mouth - is intact in Batch 82. That’s what keeps bringing me back.

For a different cask strength sherry angle, GlenAllachie 15 is worth a look. If you want to try a bottle before committing, ordering a dram at a bar is a solid way in.

The A’bunadh signatures - dark fruit, clove, leather - show up in almost every serious sherry cask. I put the repeating patterns together here: sherry cask common tasting notes.

Overall: ★★★★★ ★★★★★ 4.1 / 5