Review #908 - Aberargie Inaugural Single Malt
Aberargie has just launched their inaugural single malt bottling this year, in 2026. Unlike a lot of new Scottish distilleries in the past 15 years, they aren't launching with a young inaugural release around 3 or 4 years old; instead, this grain-to-glass distillery waited until they had been in production for more than 8 years before selling anything. They were established back in late 2017, and they produced their first casks of spirit in November of that year.
This inaugural release doesn't have an age statement, but considering the age of the distillery, there are rumors that much of the liquid in this bottle is 6 years to 8 years old. The distillate was made with a combination of 48% Laureate malted barley and 52% Golden Promise barley, and after distillation, they used 50% first fill bourbon casks and 50% sherry casks for maturation.
We get solid specs on this bottle as well: the strength is 48.2% ABV, and they tell us that it isn't chill filtered or artificially colored.
Aberargie Inaugural Single Malt
Scotland/Lowland - Single Malt
Price: USD 80 (2026)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 48.2% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill bourbons barrels and sherry casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; bottled 2026
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 2 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Very malty with some brown sugar and orchard fruits: juicy pears and oranges. There's a light, heathery side and a bit of vanilla, as well as soft spirity notes. Wildflower honey, hints of stone fruit, and grassy notes build; there's a surprising amount of oak for the age, but it seems well-measured.
Palate: Brown sugar oatmeal, decent richness, with some black pepper spice from the oak. Pears, soft dark stewed fruits, and candied pecans build next; we also get a hint of peaches, as well as malt, rose water, and nectarine. The mouthfeel has a medium thickness.
Finish: An interesting savory or umami note pops up to start the finish; peppery oak, smoked paprika, and cardamom lead a spice-dominated aftertaste. Orange fruit, malty notes, a soft tannins... sweet grain flavors, more wood spice, as well as a hint of stone fruit. It's a medium length finish.
Final Note: This is a very solid inaugural release from Aberargie in our opinion. We like that they waited until they were a bit older to release their first whisky, and it definitely shows in the flavor profile: less noticeable youth, a decent amount of oak, and good complexity for its age. We did find some influence from both the bourbon casks and the sherry casks, but we also found a refreshing focus on the distillate here, the grain itself. This is a good whisky, and considering how much we like this inaugural single malt, we'll be watching this distillery closely going forward.
Value for this single malt is fair, a bit above average in our books. We can get it for about $80 here in the US, and we think that's fine for the level of flavor that you're getting in the bottle.
Our Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.50
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other inaugural release reviews:
Review #794 - Ardnahoe 5 Year Inaugural Release
