Aberlour 21 and 25 Years Old: 7 Things You Should Know

Aberlour 21 and 25 Years Old are the oldest whiskies in Aberlour's permanent range, sitting above the 18 Years Old, and both were made under the guidance of Master Distiller Graeme Cruickshank from American oak and Oloroso sherry casks, with the 21 bottled at 48% ABV and the 25 at natural cask strength, 50.8% ABV in the first batch. Both return once a year as a small single batch, so bottles are limited, and Aberlour's official tasting notes set them apart: the 21 leans towards dates, dark chocolate and festive spice, the 25 towards peaches, marzipan and cardamom.

Key Takeaways

• Aberlour 21 and 25 Years Old are the oldest whiskies in Aberlour's permanent range and now sit above the 18 Years Old.

• Master Distiller Graeme Cruickshank says he personally guided the 21 from grain to glass.

• Both follow Aberlour's double cask method with American oak and Oloroso sherry casks. The 25 includes a single first fill sherry hogshead.

• The 21 is bottled at 48% ABV. The 25 is bottled at natural cask strength, 50.8% ABV in the first batch. Both are non chill filtered.

• Both are permanent, but each comes out once a year as one small single batch, so bottles are limited.

Tip: The box colour tells the two apart at a glance. The 21 comes in deep navy and the 25 in purple, both with gold lettering and a Single Batch bar on the label.

They Are the Oldest Ages in Aberlour's Permanent Range

Aberlour was founded in 1879 by James Fleming in the Speyside village of Aberlour, where the Lour Burn meets the River Spey. Today the distillery belongs to Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard. The new Aberlour 21 Years Old and Aberlour 25 Years Old now sit above the 18 Years Old as the oldest ages in the range Aberlour makes year after year.

According to The Spirits Business, they are the oldest additions to Aberlour's core range since the 18 Years Old was introduced in 2008. Aberlour presented both at a launch event in Paris on 24 September 2026, two days before their public debut at Whisky Live Paris on 26 September.

Aberlour has released 21 year old whiskies before, but never as part of its permanent range. Aurélie Torre, Vice President of Marketing for Specialty Whiskies at Pernod Ricard, told The Daily Pour that, as far as she understands, the new 21 is quite different from those earlier releases.

Master Distiller Graeme Cruickshank Guided the 21 From Grain to Glass

Graeme Cruickshank, Aberlour's Master Distiller, has over 35 years in the industry, according to the distillery. He was already working at Aberlour when the spirit for the 21 was made, and in the launch announcement he says that, having personally guided the 21 on its journey from grain to glass, he knows the patience, precision and care required to bring a whisky of this age to life.

Cruickshank told The Moodie Davitt Report that the distillery kept records of the filling process and of its assessments of the new make spirit. Looking back at those records, he found that the spirit destined for the 21 had received a particularly high rating. Since then, careful cask selection and regular checks helped the team judge how it was developing and when it was ready.

He calls it "the ultimate reflection of what happens when craft meets time". The Paris launch event carried the theme The Luxury of Craft Meets Time.

Both Are Built on American Oak and Oloroso Sherry Casks

Aberlour is known for double cask maturation. The distillery says that, almost without exception, all of its single malts are made from liquid aged in both sherry casks and American oak casks. In its words, the sherry cask adds "a certain sweetness and rich, warm fruity notes", while the American oak gives "notes of vanilla and a mellow, smooth finish".

The 21 spent more than two decades in American oak and Oloroso sherry casks. The 25 was made by marrying a small number of rare, hand selected casks, including a single first fill sherry hogshead. Cruickshank told The Moodie Davitt Report that suitable casks for the 25 are especially rare.

For more on how the type of cask shapes flavour, read our guide What Is a Whisky Cask? Types, Wood, and Influence on Flavour.

The 21 Is Bottled at 48% ABV, the 25 at Cask Strength

The 21 is bottled at 48% ABV. Cruickshank told The Daily Pour that the team chose that strength on purpose, because they felt it showcased the 21 best, and that he expects it to remain at 48% in future years.

The 25 is bottled at natural cask strength, which means at whatever strength the casks deliver. In the first batch that is 50.8% ABV. "Whatever the ABV is when it comes out of the cask, that'll be the ABV that's on the bottle," Cruickshank told The Daily Pour, so the strength of a later batch can differ.

Both whiskies are non chill filtered and come in 700 ml bottles. If the term is new to you, our guide What Does “Cask Strength” Mean? explains it.

The Official Tasting Notes Point in Two Directions

These are Aberlour's official tasting notes for both whiskies, as published at launch. They are the brand's notes, not ours.

Aberlour 21 Years Old

• Nose: juicy cherries, baked spiced apples, sticky dates, toffee sauce, chocolate ganache and crystallised ginger.

• Palate: fresh cranberries, blood orange slices, dark chocolate honeycomb, and treacle tart with cinnamon and nutmeg.

• Finish: complex and rich, with enduring festive spice.

Aberlour 25 Years Old

• Nose: juicy orange slices, peaches in syrup, red liquorice, butterscotch, marzipan, cinnamon sticks and sweet toasted oak.

• Palate: fresh apricot, glazed cherries, ripe red plums and vanilla ice cream, then fresh ginger and a hint of cardamom.

• Finish: fruity and sweet with playful spice.

In short, the official notes put the 21 towards dark fruit, chocolate and festive spice, and the 25 towards brighter fruit, with peaches, apricot, vanilla, ginger and cardamom. When The Daily Whisky tasted both at Whisky Live Paris, it found two rich, sherry led drams, and in the 25 the sherry side did most of the talking.

They Are Permanent, but Not Unlimited

Permanent and limited can sound like a contradiction, so here is what they mean for these two whiskies. Permanent means the 21 and 25 are now a fixed part of Aberlour's range and are planned to return every year. They are not one off editions that disappear after a single release.

Limited means that each year's release is one small single batch, and the label says Single Batch. Cruickshank told The Moodie Davitt Report that the team assesses the available casks against Aberlour's quality standards and selects those that work best together. "The batch size follows; we do not set a fixed volume," he said. The 25 is made in much smaller quantities than the 21.

Torre told The Daily Pour that the batches will remain small and that there is no intent to grow them. She also said that no two batches of the 21 will be exactly the same, and Cruickshank expects each annual release to have its own nuances.

Choosing Between Them Comes Down to Style

Both whiskies come from the same distillery and the same double cask approach, so the choice comes down to the style you enjoy and how rare you want your bottle to be.

Choose the Aberlour 21 Years Old if you like rich, sherry led whiskies with dates, chocolate and warm spice. Choose the Aberlour 25 Years Old if you prefer a fruitier, creamier style at full cask strength, or if you are looking for the rarer of the two. Taken together, the pair shows how one double cask style can go in two directions.

Tip: The 25 is bottled at cask strength, 50.8% in the first batch, so try it with a few drops of water. They can help open up the orange, peach and apricot notes behind the sherry.

FAQ

Are Aberlour 21 and 25 Years Old limited editions?

No, they are permanent additions to Aberlour's range. Each is released once a year as a small single batch, so the number of bottles in any one year is limited.

What is the ABV of Aberlour 21 and 25 Years Old?

The 21 is bottled at 48% ABV. The 25 is bottled at natural cask strength, 50.8% ABV in the first batch. It goes into the bottle at whatever strength the casks deliver, so a later batch can differ.

Which casks are used for Aberlour 21 and 25 Years Old?

Both follow Aberlour's double cask method with American oak and Oloroso sherry casks. The 25 comes from a small number of hand selected casks, including a single first fill sherry hogshead.

Who made Aberlour 21 and 25 Years Old?

They come from Aberlour Distillery in Speyside, part of Chivas Brothers and Pernod Ricard, and were made under the guidance of Master Distiller Graeme Cruickshank. He says he personally guided the 21 from grain to glass.

Is the new 21 the same as older Aberlour 21 year old releases?

No. Aberlour has released 21 year old whiskies before, but never as part of its permanent range. Aurélie Torre of Pernod Ricard told The Daily Pour that, as far as she understands, the new 21 is quite different from them.