There's a quiet confidence to Aberfeldy that I've always admired. Tucked away in the Perthshire Highlands, it's a distillery that tends to let its liquid do the talking — and with this 18 Year Old Sangiovese Italian Wine Cask expression, the conversation has taken a rather interesting turn. At 46% ABV and eighteen years of maturation, this is a whisky that marries Highland character with the vinous influence of Sangiovese wine casks, and the result is something I find genuinely compelling.
The concept itself isn't new — wine cask finishes have become a crowded field, and frankly, not all of them justify the experiment. But Sangiovese is a smart choice here. It's a grape known for its bright acidity and red-fruit backbone rather than the heavy tannic wallop you'd get from, say, a Barolo cask. That restraint matters. At eighteen years old, you want the wood influence to complement rather than bulldoze, and on paper, the pairing makes real sense: Highland honeyed malt meeting the dry, cherry-tinged character of Tuscan wine.
What I appreciate most is the decision to bottle at 46% without chill filtration (as is typical of Aberfeldy's more considered releases). That extra strength over the standard 40% or 43% gives the whisky room to express itself properly, particularly when the wine cask influence could otherwise feel muddled at lower proof. It's a detail that suggests the blending team were paying attention, and it shows respect for what eighteen years of patience should deliver.
Tasting Notes
I'll hold back on detailed tasting notes for now — this is a whisky I want to revisit more thoroughly before committing specifics to print. What I will say is that the interplay between the Highland distillery character and the Sangiovese cask influence creates a profile that sits in genuinely interesting territory: expect the honeyed, slightly waxy foundation that Aberfeldy is known for, now layered with a vinous, dry-fruited complexity that the Italian oak brings. It's the kind of whisky that rewards a slow glass.
The Verdict
At £99.75, this sits in a competitive bracket. You're paying for eighteen years of maturation and a thoughtful cask selection, and I think the price is fair — not a bargain, but not overreaching either. There are plenty of eighteen-year-old Highlanders north of £120 that offer less character than this. The Sangiovese influence gives it a genuine point of difference without turning it into a novelty, and the 46% ABV ensures there's substance behind the concept. I'd rate this 8.3 out of 10 — a well-crafted, confident release that demonstrates what Aberfeldy can do when they push beyond the core range without losing sight of what makes the distillery worth visiting in the first place. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel; it's simply offering a very good wheel with an Italian leather trim.
Best Served
Pour this neat at room temperature and give it ten minutes to open. If you find the wine-cask influence initially forward, a small splash of water — no more than a few drops — will integrate things beautifully and let the underlying Highland malt reassert itself. This is an evening dram, unhurried. Save the Highball for something younger.
