Wartime has always spelled trouble for Aberfeldy.
The distillery was closed in 1917 because the government decided the stocks of grain should be saved to provide food some time before the end of WWI. Aberfeldy resumed production in 1919 but had to close its doors again during WWII.

Fortunately, Aberfeldy prospered after that - probably helped by the fact that the distillery was located near the Aberfeldy-Perth railway line. The distillery was rebuilt and refitted with four new stills in 1972/'73. In 1998 Bacardi bought the distillery from United Distillers (Diageo), together with Aultmore, Brackla and Craigellachie. Aberfeldy still plays an important part in today's Dewar's and White Label blends. Too bad, because most of the Aberfeldy's I've tried so far performed quite well on their own.

You can find some more background info about Aberfeldy at:
http://www.uisge.dk/show_distillery.msql?name=aberfeldy

Number of bottlings sampled and approved for human consumption:  3
 

Aberfeldy 9yo 1991/2000 (43%, Ultimate, 70cl)
(Distilled 11/4/1991, bottled 8/5/2000, matured in oak cask #2713, bottle #111)
Nose: Very soft start. Becomes bigger and more spicy after a minute.
Incense? Coffee? A little oily. Some citrus. Remains relatively restrained.
Taste: Soft, smooth and warm at first. Rather sweet.
Pink bubblegum in the extremely dry finish?
Score: 70 points.
 

Aberfeldy 12yo (40%, OB, Dewar's, bottled +/- 2001, LEO 1 352 12:38, 70cl)
Nose: Ah, that's interesting? Very spicy, very herbal. Playful prickle.
Then it moves into a sweet & sour direction, becoming fruitier.
Then more organic notes appear - leather? Some smoke after 10 minutes, but then it drops off quickly.
Some water revives it again, releasing much more smoke. Only for half a minute, though - then it seems dead for good. No, wait - it picks up again. Japanese crackers in the end?
Taste: Harsh and rough at the start. Hint of salt liquorice. Orange lemonade in the finish?
Not as endearing as the nose. Although it has its moments, it's slightly disappointing.
Score: 78 points. This is a real nasal roller coaster! Unfortunately, the taste is just so-so.
 

Aberfeldy 1978/1996 (59.3%, Scott's Selection, matured in oak casks, French market, 70cl)
Nose: Wow! Powerful. Lots of fruit, lots of perspective. Fruit cake?
Slightly dusty. Complex with more sour/vegetable notes after time.
Great development over time, with organic notes growing stronger and stronger.
A little overwhelming at cask strength. Seems sweeter with five drops of water.
Strangely enough, some water seemed to dim the nose a little.
Taste: Soft start, followed by a big, fruity burn. Chewy. Groovy, baby!
Sweet when sampled by the drop. Overwhelming with bigger sips.
Fresher with water, but the sweetness remains dominant in the finish.
Score: 83 points. Bloody decent stuff! It has some very entertaining sherry accents that complement the other elements rather than overwhelm them. Intriguing development in the mouth, lasting very long.
 

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