Bourbon and Scotch Single Malts are very popular these days. These categories have different flavor profiles resulting from specific country regulations and production processes.

The bourbon flavor profile is typically associated with caramel and honey provided by the char level of the barrel. The stronger the char, the deeper the flame gets into the wood and caramelizes the sugars contained in the Hemicellulose layer of the wood. Toasting the barrel will mellow the tannings in the wood and provide the whisky with vanilla, coconut, and spicy notes.

Scotch Single Malt is a different camp, one where the cereal, smoky, nutty flavors from the malted barley stand out. One of the reasons distilleries in Scotland purchase barrels that previously contained bourbon from the U.S. is because a good part of the wood extracts from the barrel has already been taken by the bourbon, making the wood less aggressive to the new make from Scotland.

Some whisky aficionados have a hard time transitioning from bourbon to Scotch Single Malts because they dislike the smoky/peaty flavor from the malted barley and prefer the rich sweetness of the bourbon. However, there are Scotch Single Malt whiskies in the market that are sweet and non-peated that should be easy to enjoy.

Three Scotch Single Malts for Bourbon Aficionados

Glenfiddich 15 years Solera Reserve

The famous distillery was founded in 1886 and owned by William Grants & Sons. Glenfiddich means “valley of the deer” in Gaelic, situated in Dufftown, in the glen (valley) of the River Fiddich, a tributary of the River Spey. Hence, the distillery company’s logo. Glenfiddich is the best-selling single malt in the world.

Glenfiddich 15 years results from a combination of single malts aged in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry casks, and virgin oak left in a Solera Vat for a few months until the flavors fully integrate.

The Solera vat is a large oak tun used in the sherry wine industry that contains wines of different ages so that the young ones and old ones develop a consistent, unique, and complex flavor profile.

Glenfiddich distillery also implements this process. Whiskies of at least 15 years are poured into a vat and drawn in batches. The vat is never fully emptied to allow the flavors to continuously integrate, thus allowing the old whiskies to round flavors of the new ones.

On the palate, flavors of sherry, spices, and fruits. The finish is medium with dried fruits, spices, and oak. It’s a delicate whisky bottled at 40% ABV, so adding water might drown it.

Awards for Glenfiddich 15 years Solera Reserve:

• Double Gold Single Malt Scotch – 13 to 19 Yrs – 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
• Master Speyside Single Malts 13-18yo – 2013 The Scotch Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business)

The Balvenie 14 years Caribbean Cask

The Balvenie used to be Glenfiddich’s little sister distillery, but the quality of its malts and popularity shows that it can hold its own. The Balvenie Distillery is known for its classic honey-sweet flavor profile driven by ex-bourbon casks. The Grant family, who already established Glenfiddich in 1886 also established the Balvenie distillery in 1892.

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-year-old single malt whisky has been matured in traditional American oak whisky casks for 14 years and finished in casks that previously held West Indies Caribbean rum. The duration of the second maturation (the finish) is not disclosed on the bottle.

The flavor profile is brown sugar sweet with vanilla, fruit, and a touch of extra sweetness coming from the molasses. The finish is warm and long. The rum finish does an excellent job complementing the vanilla flavors from the primary maturation in ex-bourbon casks.

Awards for The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-year-old:

• Gold Medal Scotch Single Malt – Speyside – 2017 International Wine & Spirit Competition.
• Trophy Single Malt Scotch Whisky 15 years and under – 2017 International Wine & Spirit Competition.

Aberlour 16 years 

The Aberlour distillery was founded in 1879 by James Fleming, a grain dealer born in 1830. It sits at the confluence of the Lour and Spey Rivers in Strathspey. Aberlour, in Gaelic, means ‘the mouth of the chattering burn’.  Scots use the word “burn” to refer to a water stream or small river.

Like the other two distilleries, it applies the double cask maturation (ex-bourbon, ex-sherry casks) technique as part of its core process. The distillery delivers some of the purest single malts aged in sherry casks, along with Glenfarclas, The Macallan, and Glendronach distilleries.

Aberlour 16 is a delicious Scotch Single Malt matured in American oak, and ex-sherry casks for 16 years providing rich flavors of oak, dried fruits, sweet, and caramel. The finish is medium to long. Rich and spicy.

Leave this whisky to open for a few minutes, and your patience will be rewarded. A real gem by one of the most traditional distilleries in Scotland will not disappoint you.

Awards for Aberlour 16:

• Gold Medal Scotch Single Malt – Speyside – 2017 International Wine & Spirit Competition
• Gold Medal Speyside Single Malts 13-18yo – 2015 The Scotch Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business)

The region of Speyside in Scotland delivers impressive single malts with fruit and sweet character. I am sure you will find your favorite pretty soon. Leave a comment and let me know what you think about these single malt options. Slainte!

See each bottle on my Instagram account. You can also check my reviews on other Scotch whiskies here.