Aultmore whiskies

History

It was founded at the end of the 19th century by Alexander Edward, a businessman who was also involved in other distilleries in the area. At the beginning of the 20th century it passed to the Dewar family, and since then its whisky has been a key piece of the house blends. Like so many distilleries of its kind, it was modernised in the second half of the century and its capacity expanded. With Bacardi’s purchase of Dewar’s at the end of the 1990s, Aultmore joined the group, which later included it in a range of malts from little-known distilleries in order to raise their profile.

House style

Aultmore’s style is light, grassy and fruity: freshly cut grass, green apple, citrus and a background of cereal and gentle honey. It has no peat and the wood is discreet. The house malt is bottled at a good strength and without chill filtration, which gives it a little more texture. With age it gains notes of honey, wax and stone fruit, while remaining delicate.

Where to start

Aultmore 12 Year Old is the benchmark expression and a good example of Speyside at its freshest and cleanest. You’ll like it if you prefer light, grassy whiskies to sherried ones, and it is a good malt to compare with others from the area. Drink it neat, without ice, to appreciate its clean profile, or with a few drops of water if it seems intense: with water more notes of grass and white fruit appear.

• Aultmore 12 Year OldSingle malt · 46% ABV