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The color here is a clear but average intensity gold.  The heavy, glazed legs flaunt a high alcohol.  The rim becomes watery midway.  The aromas are still in the works: young and mild, reminding me of honey, caramel, orange candies, even strawberry, with a slight cigarette edge from ten years of oak aging.

The structure is average, with enough bitterness, body, and alcoholic warmth to keep your attention.  In retrospect, Aberlour seems a bit thin when compared to Macallan’s 10 Year.  The flavors are delayed, with medium intensity roasted vanilla coffee creamer, orange sorbet, caramel, with a slight toffee spice that finishes the show, lingering for a medium length.

Aberlour’s 10 year was a wonderful first love.  It was extremely smooth, with measured vanilla oak spice, bright fruit, and seeming sweetness.  I stared at it endlessly, trying to tease out any deeper complexity.  All I found was warm, simple, superficial delight.  It’s a solid good: 3 out of 5 points.

This post is in thanks to Richard Paterson’s mustache.