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Oak
Oak plays an important part in the story of
Aberlour, ancient and modern. For the Druids, the all-powerful
priesthood of the Celts, the oak was the most sacred of all trees.
It was, they believed, a vital element in the creation of the
world, and the custodian of the wisdom of the forest. The name
"Druid" comes from an Indo-European word meaning "knowing
the oak tree". Many Druidic rituals and ceremonies were performed
in sacred groves of oaks, similar to those that cloak the narrow
sides of the Lour glen – one of the telltale signs that Aberlour
itself was once a Druid settlement.
Today, Aberlour Single Malt is matured in oak casks
that have previously contained American bourbon or Spanish sherry
– both of which, in their separate ways, enrich the flavour
and colour of the whisky. The oak, tight-grained but porous, allows
the maturing spirit to breathe and lets in the soft and fragrant
Highland air, miraculously unchanged since the days of the ancient
Druids. See Druids.
Oloroso
A rich, spicy, nutty sherry. Oloroso casks
are used for maturing certain expressions of Aberlour Single Malt.
Aberlour15 Year Old, for example, is matured first in sherry and
bourbon casks, then solely in Oloroso casks, to produce a whisky
good enough to win a gold medal at the 2001 International Wine
& Spirit Competition. Aberlour 12 Year Old Sherry Matured,
on the other hand, is brought to perfection exclusively in first-fill
Oloroso butts, resulting in an unusually fresh-tasting single
malt with a distinctive sherry nose.
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