Aberfeldy 12-year-old

2020 Rating

Sweet apples and oak drifted languidly out of the glass as white flowers and digestif biscuits followed close behind. A touch of beeswax and old paper lingered with the scent of a musty wood shop in the background. Light-bodied, the flavor profile was richer than I expected, with plenty of honey and apples on waxed paper— homemade breakfast grain bars sweetened with dried fruits and honey. A touch of vanilla and coconut jam lingered further in with plenty of oak and a kiss of peppery herbs. The finish was medium to short with malty pastries, honey, and oak. This was far more enjoyable than I expected, echoing my reaction to the Dewar’s 12 Year I also brought home from Aberfeldy. I would pour this over that, and while I do not often stock mass market products at home (I have long since fallen to the esoteric siren’s song of independent bottlers), I would absolutely take a pour of this if I were at an event or bar and I wanted a solid single malt. This will not hold your attention, but that is not the point, it should fade nicely into the background of an evening.

Bought two 5cl bottles once, it's been a while since they were finished. I remember it as a simple whisky that could have been good in a better presentation, but cold filtered and 40% with a silent dose of e150a, it was still underwhelming.

Honey, Muesli, vanilla little cinnamon all fine in balance. In the aftertaste a bit bitter / hard but certainly not annoying. Would still like to purchase a bottle of this. Even women who came to visit could appreciate this whisky. Tube and bottle also very nice for what it is worth.

Tasty whisky that is seen by the experienced whisky drinker as beginner whisky. But that does not matter. If you are looking for a nice fruity whisky under 40 euros that easily dries away, buy that bottle. A lot of fruit, slightly floral, slightly oily in texture, little bit of smoke. With the whiskys under 50 euros no money thrown away!

Some iodine, a bit medicinal? Salt? A fruity sweetness with a bitter, almond-like finish. Difficult to pinpoint very many flavours, as I found it to be incredibly bland, thin-bodied and dull.

Very clear, tasty, smooth, rounded base release. It would be 43-46%, there would be a bomb.

A soft highlander for everyday use

An uncomplicated beginner's whisky without corners and edges for a very moderate price. You can also try something like that, especially in times when prices only seem to know the way up.

20 20 20 20

Inoffensive. Uncomplicated. Nothing bad. If you are beginning your malt journey, a good whisky to help find your way.

A very good dram for beginners or guests, who don't know much about whisky or who don't enjoy spirits at higher abv.

Tasted on a Virgin Atlantic flight. Here the whisky comes in quadruple measures only, so I’ll try to get the notes out of the way asap. This is my first Aberfeldy, and my first whisky review after months of living bone-dry trying to get the covid out of my cardiovascular system. Note to self: high-intensity sports and boozing are a no-no when you have a nasty virus in your system. We’re better now so, cheers! Overall this was quite a positive surprise, with obvious investment in the distillery’s wood policy and a charismatic highland make. I think it could do rather well with a more natural presentation. Looking at the bottle here, et looks like the distillery puts out the same OB with “limited edition: batch 2095” on it year in year out. That’s rather embarrasing isn’t it? Perhaps they don’t expect anyone to care enough to pay attention. Another instance of weird mass consumer mixed with “niche” product marketing. Look out perfumery, we’re coming for your shallow world of obvious untruths!

Good for beginners

pleasant, mild, sweet and sweet beginners, not very complex, but also nothing disturbing

Drinkable standard that is not really good, but at least something more offers in the form of the combination of sweetness and tartness. At least not so flat.

Perhaps one of the most dull Single Malts I have tasted to date. It's drinkable, sure - in fact, it will go down this summer with lots of ice - And then I will forget I ever had a bottle. It's so bland and short tasting - I've had blends that were much more giving than this *sigh*

Here we have another workhorse of the blend industry, since most of Aberfeldy's production ends up as key component of Dewar's. The nose of this 12-year-old Highlander is unimposing, grainy and slightly acidic with apple cider, heather honey and hints of vinegar. On the palate, it arrives silky, light and malty sweet before turning aromatic and indistinctly sour in the development. A surprisingly milky aftertaste with almonds, muesli and a touch of oak rounds off the experience. It's probably not a very memorable single malt, but nice enough to give it a try. RATING: 3.0/5.0 stars ≙ 80 pts → AVERAGE

Light whisky that does nothing wrong in itself, but is bottled far too weakly. Grain and hay on the nose, fruity then in the mouth, rather short finish. Would be interesting to drink that to 50 percent by volume. Rather unnecessary in its current form.

The color is of course a beautiful, warm gold color. A rich and smooth whisky. As soon as you smell your whisky you will smell soft notes of spices and a very light smoky scent. Tilt it slightly and you will smell more fruity aromas. While tasting the whisky you can taste hints of: chocolate, caramel, honey, spices and peat. A nice full whisky that you like to roll through your mouth. With its full and dry aftertaste, spicy aftertaste and hints of oranges and honey, you will enjoy its taste for a long time to come.

All-in-all a solid 12 year old Single Malt that is definitely aimed at more mainstream Single Malt & Blend Drinkers..

Lots of yellow fruit. Peaches. Lots of honey. Spices. Cinnamon. Pleasant. There is a bit of stone bitterness in the finish.

Sweet scent of honey. Artificial sweetener taste like molasses on the tip of the tongue.

A very decent Highland entry single malt. It has a lot more to offer than the Dewar's 12 year old blend to which is a major component.

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2026/02/01/loose-ends-feb-2026/ A close friend brought round the heel of this bottle he’d used to nurse him through a terrible flu. He believes the bottle was bought [for him] recently [in 2025], whilst the laser code states this as produced in 2018. Yet another case of stock gathering dust [and further evidence of the ‘glass loch’?]. C: Another whisky limited by design, though it presents credibly as a whole with a consistent profile of grapefruit, toffee and [not overly sweet] pastries, a small drop of honey,… Not unenjoyable, but more than a sense of an [other 40%] opportunity missed.

A delicious whisky. Bought in the Highlands.

Bought for 30 CHF. Find him really good for the price. As a guest whisky I think he's a hammer

can not understand the good opinions on the basis of my sample, this Hefenote back out is not at all. Joins to distilleries like Cardhu, which I take from the radar ... where you should perhaps consider the 21er again ..

I think this might be perfect for anyone who prefers smooth whiskies, for people that normally drink blends, or maybe to start a whisky tasting session. Do not get me wrong, this is pretty good, but personally I would not buy a bottle. There is certainly no harm in taking a shot if you want to have an easy evening without any challenges.

I like him. Uncomplicated and easy to drink. Good PLV, could be a bit stronger, but even so it is a nice "Daily Dram"

A clear and modern whisky. Not harming anybody, but not leaving a impression either.

Cheeky and out of round.

n: fresh, citrus, pineapple, honey, vanilla, malt t: sweet, light, sour, apples a: fruits, green and yellow apples, sour, hint of almonds

Simple, straight forward malt for a decent price.

Smell: It is similar to the general highland or Speyside's 10- to 12-year-old entry-level wines, with golden color, light orange flavors, and oak head flavors, with a little banana or pineapple at the end. Alcohol is normal. Taste: The smell of oak is relatively strong, with a little vanilla and waxy feeling, and the alcohol feeling is very heavy. The bitterness behind is obvious and uncomfortable, and it is not suitable for drinking. Overall: Smell is better than taste. If you already have other entry-level wines, you don't need to try them.

aroma: fresh, orchard fruit, sweetness, vanilla taste: bland, bland, sweetness, some meat A light whisky with a nice aroma. A bland taste, everything somewhere in the background.

The Aberfeldy 12 is a wonderfully fruity, sweet Highland single malt. It's light and very pleasant to drink. Certainly not complex or layered, but that's not its purpose. It's a great sipping whisky to enjoy in a summer garden. The low 40% ABV isn't a problem at all. On the contrary, it suits this light, easy-drinking single malt perfectly.

Nice smooth whisky, definitely recommended. A bit of chocolate/caramel flavor.

I was very underwhelmed by this malt. I bought it in October and its still hanging around. Decanting and O2ing it helped round it off, but on the whole I found it harsh and low on taste and smell. Seems they are relying on nice new packaging and marketing, but its not in the bottle. Cheap enough so I don't feel too ripped off.

as a non smoked 12 year old I expected it to be a little bit more rounded and smooth, but still a very nice and drinkable whisky

A very sweet, pleasantly mild Single Malt - 02.05.2015

N- Fresh honey, milky nougat with whole lots of pleasing fruit elements, notably hints of apple, vanilla, some welcoming tobacco..sweet tobacco. Cedar box, soft cask influence and lightly flinty. P- Gentle spicy, tinned apricot, caramel, fresh honey again and sweet oriented. Is nice if you are not searching for any depth. F- Medium. Hints of heat, but still pleasant, peppery hot and clean crisp spirit. — at The Whisky Bar, Kuala Lumpur.

I think that's good. No high-flyer, but the acid note I think has something.

Aberfeldy 12 year old is a solid whisky that I would happily recommend as a starter malt to someone commencing their whisky journey. It offers a good balance of sweetness and cask spice, whilst still sticking true to the promise of the Golden Dram with honeyed notes and flavours firmly in the driving seat. Of course, as an entry-point whisky it’s none too surprising to see this at 40% - I’d be very interested in a 12 year old cask strength version were that ever created. https://www.thedramble.com/tastings/aberfeldy/aberfeldy-12-year-old/

An inviting, promising nose if you give it enough time to breath, but the further development never really happens. This could be so much more and so much better if it was bottled at 46% (or even at 43%). Nevertheless, a good easy sipper, the kind of whisky to warm up the palate  before you dive into more complex stuff.

Color: Gold (without FS) - very tasty "standard" single malt, - surprisingly high similarity in smell and taste to a Dalwhinnie 15 y. - delicious buy recommendation!

S 6 Quite oaky given the age and abv, but overall, a decent entry-level malt. It provides a heavier texture than blends and the malt characters really stand out in this expression. 71-80 - Drinkable, worth the experience at least

very light in body and overall taste, makes one drink it like water... one for when you don't wanna think about whisky

Nose It welcomes you with pleasant notes of red apples, dried fruit, and honey. Next come wildflowers, lemonade, and malt. Then a pronounced confectionery note appears — creamy fudge, vanilla, and finally, a soft and pleasant woody note unfolds. There is no alcoholiness, and the aroma itself is pleasant, tasty, and vibrant. (22) Palate In the foreground, you can detect rich red apples in caramel, sweet fruits, and lemonade. Next, confectionery notes emerge, reminiscent of soaked sponge cakes, floral honey, and light tobacco undertones. Finally, there’s a minimal amount of spicy notes and pleasant woodiness. There’s also no alcoholiness; the body is of medium density. (20) Finish Above average, pleasant, and similar to the taste. It develops from a woody component to honeyed apples. (20) Balance Aberfeldy 12 YO turned out to be solid, tasty, vibrant, smooth, and rich. The excellent balance complements this wonderful picture. There are no complexities here, but everything is in its place, and that’s precisely why it wins a place in our hearts. This is the kind of case when, after tasting it, you want to buy another bottle for your home bar. (20)

Potentially a good Whisky, but too much caramel and toffee, and to low ABV. It comes across as watered down.

Aroma: sweet, honey, orange peel, cereals Taste: oily, fruity, fresh, orange Finish: medium-long, spicy, fruity, bitter

Classic introductory dram, and no showpiece. Can you drink, you should perhaps better leave.

A classic example of a whisky that starts of promising but suffers from lower ABV

2020-04-08

Boring and weak on the chest

Smooth vanilla, grainy after taste. Interestingly though my friend found it harsh and oaky with a short finish!

It was a bottle I bought with no expectations and drank roughly, but after a few months of airing, it became really delicious. In particular, it is impressive that the sweet and bitter taste of chocolate lingers for a long time in the finish.

Reasonable value for the price. The low ABV, coloring etc certainly shows and mouthfeel is quite watery. Sweet honey, fruity peaches, peaches, honey, floral notes, biscuity and malty. Slight smoky character. Pleasant easy sipping dram but very simple and rather unimpressive.

I once described this Whisky as "Apple juice with toffee and alcohol". Not complex or long aftertaste but short and fairly sweet.

Light nose: honey, sultanas, citrus and general sweetness. Taste is pretty much similar, but mainly very light. Body and development are virtually non existing. It's all very light and simple. Finish is very short with a little honey. Not a real bad whisky; there are no clear off-notes, but there's no character either. It's just a very dull and boring dram. Even for the price of 30 euro's there are way better options to consider.

altogether rather less exciting, short finish and less complex flavors.

Damn those 40% of alcohol. To have more strength might be somewhere else, but I like the smell

for full review go to https://whiskyfacile.com/2017/12/14/aberfeldy-12-yo-2017-ob-40/

Floral and fruity on the nose, sweet and spicy on the palate. Warming, delightful finish. Well-balanced, rounded.

good standard, survives very well in the bottle for a long time. Good for introducing others to single malt.

19/19/18/17

03/05/2024 - 30 ml + 50 ml with ice In fact, one of the worst value for money in Single Malt. I'm always tempted to buy it just because of the packaging, which I think is beautiful, but after this blind test it put me off for good. Interestingly, legend has it that it is the basis of Dewar's blended blends, but I find Dewar's 12 so pleasant, different from this neutral and bland Aber"hell"dy.

Aroma: Delicate, citrus fruits, plenty of honey, lemon peel, fresh oranges, notes of vanilla and caramel, grainy notes Taste: True to the aroma, distinctly honeyed, citrus notes, dessert-like with vanilla, a touch of chocolate, a finish that is slightly too spicy, lightly woody, fruity and grain-driven Overall Impression: A solid whisky, not particularly surprising yet still very enjoyable, a decent introduction to the Aberfeldy portfolio

A step up in quality when compared to the old version. The nose in particular has a lovely density to it, but the taste and aftertaste drag it back down. Decent malt whisky that works well as a warm-up malt to calibrate your nose and palate.

Colour: Gold Body: Medium Nose: Heather, honey, a little floral, some heathery smoke, wood smoke, green oak, some lemon, a little vanilla and toffee. More lemon after a bit. Water: A drop reveals more smoke, ashes, beeswax and orchard fruit. Taste: Sweet arrival, toffee, going quite juicy with pear, then lemon, fizzy lemon sherbet, developing some harsh sappy oak. Soot and oak into the finish. Water: More gentle arrival then more smoke with ashes. Finish: Short/Medium length. Harsh oak and chocolate and a little lemon. Notes: Batch 2905. Shame about the oak, but still very quaffable. Not as good as the 16yo but more smoke.

Very nice for the summer. Good to offer him absolute newbies in the subject of whisky. To be honest, too characterless, he has nothing surprising, nothing offensive and for me, unfortunately, nothing memorable.

Tropical fruit, citrus fruit, vanilla, hay, fresh and tasty, some spice at the end. Flawless first fill ex bourbon character. With a little more power that would be a really good whisky. So, considering the price, still good stuff. I'm positively surprised.

A fun dram, suitable for summer, nice fruits with a finish on the shorter side. Won't fault it for not being what it is not meant to be, either for target group and price range. Quite good for a "Scotch prototype" starter in a beginners' tasting.

It's not great, but the packaging looks good

C: Caramel. N: We cannot identify this whisky as a rich one, since few scents can reach the nose. Among these, sherry is easily recognizable, along with chantilly cream and citrus peel. As time goes by, very light and nice smoke begins to emerge. P: Notes of orange peel will make your mouth fresh and clean; as for the body, this ends being oily. F: Brief, concise, citric and slightly malty. Definitely, this dram is too polite and shy: the direct consequence is the inability to raise emotions. Even though we can recognize this as a pleasant dram, the deficiency in scent’s vivaciousness and their inconsistency makes this a “telegraphic” whisky.

Not bad, but not the high flyer. One or two drops of water are good for him Two or three more years in the barrel and a few percent more alcohol would not have hurt the whole thing.

Nice whisky for daily use.

A medium to full body.

Category: Single Malt Producer and bottler: Aberfeldy Distillery for John Dewar and Sons Ltd. (Bacardi) Series: Limited Bottling - Batch No. 2905 Region: Highland ABV: 40% Volume: 700 ml Bottling date: 03/27/2019 Cask Type: American White Oak Ex-Bourbon Cask Age: 12 YO Filtration: present Dye: yes Aroma: Green apples, applesauce, dark plums, hints of pineapple, floral honey, citrus zest, lemon drops, bready malt notes, creamy caramel, fudge, vanilla, cinnamon. The nose is sweet and sour at its core, fresh, thin, light, without a hint of alcoholicity, but also without any revelations, classic for bourbon aging. Taste. The density here is of course greatly lacking, but still good saturation is retained for 40%. In general, the taste echoes the aroma, only noticeably sweeter. The acidity from lemon candies and citruses turns into sweetness from baked fruits and honey, the spices stand out in contrast. Aftertaste: short, as they say, swallowed and forgotten. Honey, cappuccino with cinnamon. Summary. I tried this whisky about 2 years ago and then it didn’t really impress me, it just seemed good and drinkable, nothing more. Now I decided to refresh my memory and realized that I was not at all mistaken then. It is still as simple and unpretentious, and looking for something extraordinary and original in it is nonsense. I think that if I ever buy it again, it will be at a very big discount to sit with friends, but not for myself. I also tried the 16 year old regular Aberfeldy and the 16 year old finished in Madeira casks and would say that they are not far removed from their 12 year old brother. Judging by the review here in the group of the 21-year-old version of Aberfeldy, it is also missing stars from the sky. The whole problem is that these are the same profile, only with a slightly more intense, but repeating palette. For comparison, take the same banal Glenfiddich: regular releases are all different, with their own interesting and distinct nuances, there are experiments with different aging and production methods, etc. Here, the reason for the trouble lies, as I think, in the fact that Aberfeldy’s release is designed primarily for blends and for the mass consumer, because this is really Golden Dram, not to be taken as an example of the classic taste of Scotch whisky. Pleasant, but emasculated, not to the right, not to the left, straight as a stick. Score: 82 out of 100. PS The box is convenient, I put all my computer cables there).

A good drink, especially in combination with its low cost.

My first tasting of the whisky was pretty devastating. Since there are a lot of positive reviews overall, I had to buy a new sample. Although it largely corresponds to what I remember, I would like to adjust a few points, in particular I remembered the finish as being much worse.

Nose Hui, taste ugh

A really light, basic, almost watered down whisky. vanilla honey a little malt and little else. It's certainly not one of my favorite drams.

Nothing wrong, just Average. Would consider this a decent beginners whisky, with the low abv. For the price you can get much better

Tried directly at the distillery. A very pleasant dram, very drinkable. 71-80 – Fine, like to drink by time

A good single malt whisky with a good price performance ratio that you always like to drink.

A much overlooked whisky. Aberfeldy doesn't do a lot in terms of being unique. Refreshingly enough, the brand seems to acknowledge this. It's a highlands 12 year old whisky. It isn't terribly overprized and it's good. The nose is rather bland at first, but given time, develops a rather pleasant, albeit faint, maltish quality. Tastewise, this dram delivers quite well. Malt, honey, chocolate, a little spiciness on the back of the tongue. Aftertaste is just nice and rather warming, with nuts, milk chocolate, vanilla and honey. As stated below, not very memorable, but still a great mid-week dram, a good addition to any whisky cabinet and above all else a great introduction. This is the first dram I pick to give friends to enthuse them into exploring beyond their terrible "i love whisky, I drink Jack Daniels all the time" mindset.

blind tasted on 04-14-2020. (85/82/82)

A very nice sweet and malty whisky. with lots of honey, vanilla and fruits

Chill-filtered. Coloured. Entry level single malt scotch. Does not hold any water.

Tasted January 16, 2024 (sample) Very nice. I didn't find anything wrong, not too complex and medium-strong.

Simple, rude, harsh, inhospitable, harsh Highlander

2021 Rating

While not my favorite whisky, I think the citrus aromas, malt essence, and the deep-set smoke from the casks make it an above-average single malt.

The aftertaste is excessively bitter, with a damp, unpleasant woody flavor. I didn't like it at all! Overall, this is a good whisky and won't disappoint either beginners or those who are deeply immersed in the subject of whisky! I recommend it for a first introduction to the Highlands. It has the characteristic, rough, and rugged features that are typical of this region. 22 21 20 19

Definitely, this dram is too polite and shy: the direct consequence is the inability to raise emotions. Even though we can recognize this as a pleasant dram, the deficiency in scent’s vivaciousness and their inconsistency makes this a “telegraphic” whisky.

Simple, slightly oaky, but drinkable.

Aberfeldy 12YO is a quite good whisky. It’s a simple, smooth, and easy drinkable. It appears with sweet bee-wax, honey, caramel and white fruits notes on nose. The palate is sweet, waxy with honey, oak and light wood fire notes. The finish is a middle with vanilla, spices, oak, caramel, apples and wood coal dust.

Delicate, soft, quite sweet and fruity w/ notes of peach jam, sherry and orange zest. RATING: 83pts – |83 – 86 (B) → Good| — Not a “must”, but a nice-to-have.

Taste: fruity, dessert. Honey sweetness, apples, garden fruits, white chocolate. Flavor plate