Aultmore 12 Years is another release in Dewars’ Last Great Malts lineup and comes from a distillery that’s been quietly pumping out whisky in the central Speyside region of Scotland for over 100 years. It was built in 1896 by Alexander Edward who also owned Benrinnes and added Oban to his stable of distilleries just one year after Aultmore came online.
Like the rest of the Last Great Malts, save Aberfeldy, the Aultmore distillery has been primarily a source of single malt whisky used to make blends and hasn’t had any regular OB releases to speak of. It’s an interesting play in today’s market for Dewar’s to release a new age-stated OB lineup and it’ll be incredibly interesting to see how it all plays out and where they sit in the single malt market over the years. I wish them, and the whisky of the foggie moss, the best of luck!
Aultmore 12 Years Info
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: Aultmore
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46%
Release: The Last Great Malts – Dewars
Price: $55*
Aultmore 12 Years Review
EYE
Straw
NOSE
Malt, banana, dried fruit, vanilla and a light bit of tartness and waxy citrus peel. There’s a buttery undertone to it that adds a nice bit of dimension to overall aroma.
PALATE
Grassy hay, malt, dried fruit and light notes of chocolate, banana bread and tartness with an undertone of citric acid and honey.
FINISH
Medium fade of banana bread with a bit of sweetness & hay.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Ok balance, medium body and an average whisky feel. Not hot, not watery, just present.
OVERALL
Aultmore 12 Years isn’t incredibly deep, but what’s there is crisp and punchy from the nose to the palate and through the finish. Being the first official bottling (OB) to come out of Aultmore in a while and I’m glad to see that this new baseline malt is a solid release.
About a year ago at Malt Nuts we tasted a lineup of 12 different Aultmores, all of which came from NDPs, and I feel confident saying this Aultmore 12 Years is a decent representation of the distillery character. It ranks as high or better than 9 of the 12 bottles we tried that evening and it’s hard to ask for more out of an entry level whisky.
SCORE: 84/100
*Disclosure: This sample of Aultmore 12 Years was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
