Aberlour White Oak 10 is a variation on the distillery's standard 10 Year Old, leaning on American white oak — principally ex-bourbon — rather than the double-cask bourbon-and-sherry marriage for which Aberlour is better known. The result is a lighter, brighter whisky that sets the Speyside house style in a different frame.
The Aberlour distillery, sitting at the foot of Ben Rinnes and drawing on the Lour burn for its water, was rebuilt by James Fleming in 1879 after he had acquired the site from earlier operators. Today, under Chivas Brothers, the distillery's reputation rests overwhelmingly on sherried expressions — the 12, 16, 18 and the A'bunadh in particular — so a predominantly bourbon-cask bottling is something of a change of clothes.
On the nose and palate, the White Oak 10 is quieter than its double-cask sibling: vanilla and orchard fruit lead, with the sherry-derived raisin and toffee notes absent. Bottled at 40%, it is an aperitif dram rather than a digestif, and invites comparison with the lighter Speysiders from Glen Grant or Glenlivet more than with Aberlour's own heavier bottlings.
It is an honest, modest whisky and a useful reminder that Aberlour's distillate has the clean orchard-fruit character to stand on its own without Oloroso's help. Whether you prefer it to the traditional 10 will depend on whether you think sherry is decoration or foundation.
