Aberlour 18 Years
Eighteen years in cask and bottled at 43% ABV. Soft apricot, blackcurrant jam and sweet oak, with a long finish of oak and honey. The bottle for a special evening.
Eighteen years of patience in one glass
Aberlour 18 Years is the oldest bottle in the core range. After eighteen years in cask, the whisky has a rich structure and many more layers of flavour than the younger Aberlours. While the 12 Years is still fresh and fruity, the 18 is deeper, softer and more complex, with a clear role for the oak.
It is bottled at 43% ABV, slightly higher than the 12 and 14, giving it a little more weight and a longer finish. There is no smoke: Aberlour's Speyside style revolves around fruit and cask, and at this age, a rich, dark layer of sherry, nuts and spices, with apricot, blackcurrant, oak and honey.
In brief
Apricot, blackcurrant jam and oak
Soft apricot
A fruity opening with soft apricot, followed by darker fruit and a sweet oak note.
Jam and sweet oak
Blackcurrant jam and sweet oak, rich and full, with many layers that reveal themselves only after a few sips.
Long, oak and honey
A long, balanced finish with oak and a hint of honey.
Flavour profile of Aberlour 18 Years neat. At 43% ABV and with longer maturation, it is fuller and oakier than the 12 and 14 Years.
Savour an 18 Years slowly
This bottle is made to be enjoyed neat. Take a small glass, your time and, if you like, something tasty on the side.
Neat, in small sips
3 cl in a snifter or tulip-shaped glass. Let the whisky breathe for a few minutes and gently swirl the glass: the apricot comes first, followed by blackcurrant and oak.
Glass: snifter →With one drop of water
At 43%, water is not necessary, but one or two drops can make the honey in the finish just a little more noticeable. Taste it first without and then with water, and you will hear the difference.
Tasting glasses →With dark chocolate or nuts
A square of dark chocolate or a handful of walnuts alongside a 3 cl pour. The bitterness and fat bring out the jam and sweet oak in the whisky.
Tumblers →If it has to be a cocktail
An eighteen-year-old whisky is best not mixed. If you want to mix it anyway, choose a stirred classic with as few ingredients as possible.
Old Fashioned
Whisky, a little sugar and bitters. Let the 18 Years do the work.
Manhattan
Whisky with sweet vermouth and bitters. The blackcurrant complements the vermouth.
Sazerac
Whisky, sugar and bitters with an absinthe rinse. Small, strong and aromatic.
Godfather
Whisky and a small splash of amaretto. The apricot and almond complement each other.The right glass for Aberlour 18 Years
A snifter or tulip-shaped glass keeps the fruit and oak together. For a gift or a special evening, choose a crystal glass.
More Aberlour flavours
Aberlour
Where it began. On the brand page, you can read all about Aberlour: its origins, varieties and classic cocktails.
To Aberlour →
Aberlour 12 Years Non Chill Filtered
Twelve years old, 48% and non-chill filtered: fuller and oilier, with fruit, sherry and chocolate.
View Aberlour 12 Years Non Chill Filtered →
Aberlour 14 Years
Fruit, butterscotch and oak with a hint of blackcurrant. Smooth, creamy and easy to drink neat.
View Aberlour 14 Years →
Aberlour A'Bunadh
Exclusively oloroso sherry casks, at cask strength and non-chill filtered. Powerful, aromatic and made for a splash of water.
View Aberlour A'Bunadh →
Aberlour A'Bunadh Alba
Cask strength in American oak: vanilla and coconut, with red apple and honey. Sweet and creamy, without sherry.
View Aberlour A'Bunadh Alba →Everything about whisky: the types, the best-known brands and the cocktails.
Questions about Aberlour 18 Years
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Aberlour page or explore our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Aberlour →