Review: Aberfeldy 15 Years Old Finished in Bolgheri Red Wine Casks (2025)

Each year Aberfeldy releases a whisky (or more than one) that is finished in a specialty wine cask. For its 2025 release, that’s an especially interesting one, opting for wine casks from Tuscany’s Bolgheri, home to some of the world’s most prized wines, like Sassicaia and Ornellaia.

Per the distillery:

Crafted by Malt Master Stephanie Macleod and her team, the whisky was first matured in refill and hogshead casks for 15 years before being finished for two years in rare Tuscan Bolgheri casks. This careful process has allowed the red wine cask to complement Aberfeldy’s already exquisite character, adding an extra dimension of flavor.

Let’s give it a whirl.

Aberfeldy 15 Years Old Finished in Bolgheri Red Wine Casks (2025) Review

Aberfeldy’s wine-finished expressions can be divisive, and I expect as much of this one, which kicks things off with a hearty nose redolent of toasted oak, though overtones of brown sugar and dried cherries pull it back from complete austerity. The whisky remains on the heavier side of the spectrum, however, and even after significant air time its additional aromatic elements of anise and tobacco remain drying and dominant.

The palate sees similar flavors, though there’s a distinct winey character that offers notes of oxidized cherries and balsamic overtones right from the start. That’s backed up by toasted almond and walnut notes, plus layers of earthy cloves and significantly more of that anise. Incredibly earthy and dense on the finish, the whisky eventually evokes thoughts of crushed gravel and scorched wood, ultimately washing away the wine-soaked qualities that kick things off. Brooding.

92 proof.

B+ / $85

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