Scotland, Speyside. Distillery operational. Owner: Pernod Ricard

Then owned by the Chivas Brothers group, in the early 1970s Aberlour was one of Scotland's first Speyside distilleries to release on the French market various versions of its single malt aged entirely in ex-sherry casks. Some of these had been matured for 8 or 9 years and their labels already featured the vintages 1964 and 1965. What made Aberlour really stand out from its contemporaries, however, was its “100 proof” (50% ABV) alcohol content - a reflection of its strong temperament - and its small square bottle unlike any other, emblazoned with the words “Aberlour – Glenlivet, Unblended All Malt Scotch Whisky.”Now owned by and the standard bearer for the Pernod Ricard group, Aberlour has kept its character alive through a limited edition baptized A'Bunadh, on the way swapping its small square bottle for a rounder, more generous shape. For the distillery's most prestigious bottlings, it opts for a more slender, classic and elegant design.

A single cask Aberlour (#6524) distilled in 1989 and bottled at cask strength after 13 years of maturation in a first-fill sherry cask. These bottlings were produced between 2003 and 2014 for visitors to the distillery who were invited to choose between a bourbon or sherry cask in the No. 1 vault. This bottle is one of the first two casks, the other being the bourbon cask #10122.