Aberargie Expressions Laureate 2018 & Aberargie Expressions Golden Promise

Aberargie Expressions Laureate 2018

Region: Lowlands

ABV: 48.2%

Price: £65.00 

Distilled at Aberargie from 100% Laureate barley grown on the Morrison family’s farms, this 2026 release was matured in a combination of 68% first-fill sherry casks and 32% first-fill bourbon casks. It launched on 15 September 2026 as one of the first two bottlings in the Aberargie Expressions range, alongside a Golden Promise expression.

Nose

The nose opens with lots of juicy red berries, strawberry, raspberry and cherry in abundance. The sherry casks are expressive here - much more of a fruity and sweet sherry profile rather than a dry and nutty one. We're also finding a little menthol, candied orange peel, blackcurrant cordial and sweet cinnamon. It feels really well integrated, all of the notes are working in harmony. 

Palate

The palate opens with a nice syrupy texture, and a fair amount of those fruits from the nose, but in a darker variety - black cherry, blackcurrant and blackberries now, mixed with some chocolate and a little coffee. Again, the sherry casks are very prominent, but they feel well balanced. The finish has more of a honey and brown sugar sweetness with a dash of cinnamon. There's a bit of ginger warmth but the alcohol isn't too punchy. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose brings more of those menthol notes out, menthol cherries now, blackcurrant jam, honey, it's all of those sweet flavours that you could put into your morning porridge. There's a bit more oak here now too, but it's not overpowering. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has a bit more citrus upfront, orange and lemon, but it's still very much showing black fruits, chocolate, caramel and a little oak spice. It feels a bit spikier now though, and we preferred it without the water. 

Conclusion

We're fans of this - it's definitely more of a sherry-forward dram, but it integrates well and feels in good balance with cask, spirit and alcohol. It's not the most complex dram, but it feels refined. 

Score: 7/10

Value

These two expressions are currently the cheapest way to pick up a bottle and see what the distillery is all about.

Aberargie Expressions Golden Promise

Region: Lowlands

ABV: 48.2%

Price: £65.00

Released on 15 September 2026, this Aberargie single malt was distilled entirely from Golden Promise barley grown on the Morrison family’s farms. It was matured in a combination of 68% first-fill bourbon casks and 32% first-fill sherry casks, deliberately reversing the cask proportions used for the Laureate Expression.

Nose

The nose opens with light chocolate and fudge aromas, raspberry jam, coconut oil, and a little funk in the background, it's something like mushy pineapple or something a bit rum-like. We're also finding apricot preserve, pastry casings, a little plum and some pencil shavings. There's also a bit of almond paste that begins to come through as time opens the dram up. The alcohol is fairly well balanced, as we'd expect for the ABV.

Palate

The palate opens with apple pie, chocolate sauce, custard cream biscuits, peach rings, simple sugar syrup and a bit of clove. There's also a warming ginger spice lingering towards the finish, as well as some spent coffee grounds. The palate is much fruitier, but there's still a nutty backbone, and the sherry casks in the mix are definitely quite prominent. It's quite bright and zingy as we go back for subsequent sips.  

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose feels a fair bit more tropical, lots of fresh pineapple now, mixing with runny honey and boiled sweets. It feels a bit more one dimensional, but it's lost some of those funkier edges. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate feels maltier, honey nut cheerios, custard cream biscuits, and toffee apples. We prefer the profile with a few drops of water, it feels more harmonious. 

Conclusion

A pleasant dram - there's a few funkier notes which we may be related to the barley varietal, or just the sherry casks in the mix, but it's tasty enough. 

Score: 6.5/10

Value

As mentioned above these bottles are the cheapest way to pick up a bottle and see what the distillery is all about.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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