The Aberlour Spirit 16 Years Old Single Malt Whisky holds an Award Spirit Bronze 2021 from the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) and a Double Gold at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) — a testament to its taste and history.
Aberlour, the Speyside single malt Scotch whisky brand has an interesting history of origins. Its founder, James Fleming didn’t come from a long lineage of whisky makers and neither was he really an afficionado. Instead, he helped his father on a farm until he became an adult who wanted a career that was more financially rewarding. In short, he wanted to make some big bucks, baby. His windfall happened in the 1979 when he managed to build a distillery in Aberlour, a town in Moray, Scotland before contributing to the community by erecting spaces like a public hall and a hospital.
Interestingly, he shared the residence of Aberlour with some fellow innovators. The world famous Walkers shortbread originated from the town, the man who introduced lemonade to Japan, Alexander Cameron Sim was born there and it was in Aberlour itself where Thomas Telford himself changed how bridges were manufactured.
Fleming’s contribution to the world (not only to the world, but also boozers and the whisky afficionados) and the history of Aberlour is in fact, what makes it award winning. Sure, three of its spirits — Spirit A’Bunadh Single Malt Whisky and Spirit 18 and 16 Year Old Single Malt Whisky — have clinched awards at the SuperBowl of spirit competitions (the Spirit A’Bunadh has scored a near-perfect 99 at the IWSC competition) but it’s at its most wonderful when one is drinking it. A testament to Fleming’s family motto, “Let the Deed Show.”
The Aberlour Spirit A’Bunadh (pronounced, a-boone-ack) is also a winner in its own right, its name meaning “The Original” or “The Origin” in Scotch Gaelic which is a reference to create the style of whisky produced by the Aberlour distillery in the late 19th century.
While the Aberlour distillery is still functioning in 2021 (even a 1898 fire couldn’t fully take it out), every bottle one drinks today is still matured in sherry casks. If one is also wondering why the amber nectar is sweet and creamy, Fleming himself built it on the site of a well — cementing once again that he was one of the greatest innovators of his time.
For more information on the history of Aberlour, click here.
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