Aberfeldy partners with Argentinian Winery, Finca Ambrosia for New Release

13 Mar

Aberfeldy Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has announced a partnership with Argentinian Winery, Finca Ambrosia for the most recent edition to its Wine Cask Collection

ABERFELDY 21 Year Old Malbec Cask Finish is a celebration of two crafts coming together and two like-minded master craftspeople: a Malt Master and a Winemaker. This is the first partnership of its kind for ABERFELDY.

Located at the foothills of the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 1250m, the Finca Ambrosia estate uses organic practices and observes moon cycles for optimum harvest, to produce terroir-driven wines with flavours that express the intricacies and nuances of the district of Gualtallary, in the heart of Mendoza’s Uco Valley, considered to be the finest terroir in Argentina.

Such has been the rise of Finca Ambrosia’s reputation that, as well as producing their own signature wines, their fruit has now become some of the most sought after in the region, and the casks they use for ageing these fine wines, are equally desirable.

Distilled on 14th November 2001 and matured for over two decades in Sherry and Bourbon re-fill barrels and hogsheads, the limited edition ABERFELDY 21 YEAR OLD is finished for around 8 months in the winery’s Malbec French Oak wine casks.

The finishing casks previously held Finca Ambrosia’s, Viña Unica, a wine which represents their Winemaker, Daniel Pi’s constant search for identity and harmonious use of oak. It is a purely fruited, gently oaked red wine that delivers complexity and length, having spent 15 months in used French oak barrels. The barrels are created by a small family-owned cooperage in Burgundy, France called Mercurey, and are secured from four sustainably managed forests. They undergo a distinct toasting process to season the oak.

Combining their skills, Malt Master Stephanie Macleod and Winemaker Daniel Pi worked together to select these particular casks for finishing as they bring classic Malbec notes of blackberry, plum and black cherry. Nuanced flavours of cocoa powder, violet flowers, leather and sweet tobacco spice to the maturing whisky.

Stephanie’s comments: “This delicate yet complex Finca Ambrosia cask finish opens with intriguing notes of sweet, toasted cereal, herbal sage and hints of rosemary. It then begins to develop with ripe strawberries, drizzled in Aberfeldy’s signature Highland honey notes and then it’s delicately sharpened with notes of blackcurrant. Melting to floral notes of rose and violet, and a background hint of cinnamon spice. Settling on the palate the fruit sings and rejoices, soothing to a creamy vanilla and endlessly smooth finish.”

Specs:

Bottled at 46% ABV,
Non-chill filtered
Natural colour.
Priced at RRP: £230 / $279.99 USD,

About ABERFELDY Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Founded in 1898 where Perthshire's tallest mountain, deepest loch, and longest glen meet, the Aberfeldy distillery is at the 'Heart of Scotland’. Established by John Alexander Dewar, the distillery was built in sight of his father’s humble beginnings, strengthening the foundations of the family’s whisky legacy.

ABERFELDY is a Classic Central Highland Single Malt with signature soft, honeyed fruity notes, gentle spice and a malty backbone. Harnessing four styles of the finest quality oak casks for ageing: first-fill Sherry, first-fill Bourbon, refill and rechar, Malt Master Stephanie Macleod and the team of whisky-makers craft a RICH, ROUND and INDULGENT dram.

The brand’s core portfolio is comprised of ABERFELDY 12 Year Old, ABERFELDY 16 Year Old and ABERFELDY 21 Year Old.

The Single Malt brand of ABERFELDY is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

About ABERFELDY Wine Cask Collection
ABERFELDY’S Limited Edition series is curated by Malt Master Stephanie Macleod. Being highly accomplished in the sensory analyses of whisky, this collection was born through passion for maturation and flavour development.

Inspired by her adoration of fine wine, Stephanie began the exploration of how flavours from wine casks interact with and elevate ABERFELDY’S aged malt. Painstakingly nosing each cask to monitor maturation development within ABERFELDY’S inventory, ensuring that every whisky in the series has been expertly finished, is perfectly balanced and brimming with distillery character.