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.

An Aberlour A’’Bunadh Batch 56, bottled at cask strength in 2016 and matured in Oloroso casks. A’’Bunadh, which is Gaelic for ‘The Original’’, is one of the distillery’’s flagship bottlings. The bottle shape is inspired by the bottles used in the 19th century, often obtained from the village apothecary and filled directly from the cask without the addition of water.