Aberfeldy 16 Years Distillers Edition
Aberfeldy's honey, with a layer of fruitcake and dark chocolate on top. Sixteen years in oak, followed by a finish in first-fill oloroso sherry casks.
Four years older, with a second cask
The 16 Years Distillers Edition starts like every Aberfeldy: unpeated Highland malt from the distillery that contributes to the Dewar's blend. The difference lies in the time and the final cask. It spends sixteen years in oak, then finishes in first-fill oloroso sherry casks, which are filled with whisky for the first time after holding sherry, so they impart plenty of sherry character.
You notice it right away. While the 12 Years is light and honey-sweet, this one adds a darker layer: fruitcake, dried fruit and dark chocolate, with the honey still clearly present underneath. It is bottled at 40%, just like the 12, so it is not higher in alcohol, but it is fuller in flavour. This bottle has no smoke either.
In brief
Honey with a sherry edge
Honey & fruitcake
That familiar heather honey, now joined by raisin and fruitcake notes. The sherry is prominent without overpowering the honey.
Rich and fruity
Fuller than the 12 Years: honey-sweet and fruity, with dried fruit and a dark note of dark chocolate.
Chocolate and oak
A warm, medium-length finish with lingering chocolate and oak. Smooth, without any harshness.
Tasting notes for Aberfeldy 16 Years neat, without water. It's fuller than the 12 Years, but just as mild at 40% ABV.
How to get the most out of the 16 Years
This is a whisky to sip slowly. Take your time: the sherry notes only open up after a few minutes in the glass.
Neat in a tulip glass
Pour 3 to 4 cl at room temperature into a tulip-shaped tasting glass. Smell it first with your mouth slightly open, let it sit for five minutes, then smell again: that's when the fruitcake really comes through.
Glass: tasting glass →Alongside a piece of chocolate
Pour 4 cl into a tumbler without ice and enjoy with a piece of dark chocolate. The chocolate notes in the whisky and the bitterness of the chocolate enhance each other.
Tumblers →As a Rusty Nail
Stir 45 ml of Aberfeldy 16 and 20 ml of Drambuie over ice, then pour into a tumbler with one large ice cube. The honey in the whisky and liqueur come together perfectly.
Rusty Nail recipe →Cocktails for a sherried Aberfeldy
Mix in moderation, but the 16 Years holds its own in a stirred cocktail with few ingredients.
Rusty Nail
Whisky and Drambuie over ice. Two kinds of honey in one glass.
Godfather
Whisky with amaretto. The fruitcake in the 16 Years pairs well with the almond.
Boulevardier
Whisky, sweet vermouth and Campari. The sherry stands up to the bitterness.
Manhattan
Whisky, sweet vermouth and bitters, stirred until chilled. Rich and dark with this malt.The right glass for Aberfeldy 16 Years
A tulip-shaped glass concentrates the sherry and honey; a heavy tumbler is for a Rusty Nail or a pour with one ice cube.
More Aberfeldy flavors
Aberfeldy
Where it all began. Visit the brand page to learn all about Aberfeldy: its origins, varieties, and classic cocktails.
Go to Aberfeldy →
Aberfeldy 18 Years Napa Valley
Eighteen years old, finished in Cabernet Sauvignon casks from Napa Valley. Red berries and spices over honey.
View Aberfeldy 18 Years Napa Valley →Everything about whisky: the types, the best-known brands, and the cocktails.
Questions about Aberfeldy 16 Years Distillers Edition
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Aberfeldy page or browse our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Aberfeldy →What is the alcohol percentage of Aberfeldy 16 Years?
What's the difference between Aberfeldy 12 and 16?
What does Distillers Edition mean?
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Buy Aberfeldy 16 Years Distillers Edition
Want to get the bottle right away? Order Aberfeldy 16 Years Distillers Edition online from Gall & Gall.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; it costs you nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
