The Balvenie - 29 March 2008 @ 7pm GMT

[Deactivated Member]

Well, I definitely prefer the Double Wood over the Sig 12 so far. I think the sherry takes the edge off the citrus just nicely.

[Ras Mazunga]

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Brand : The Balvenie Expression : signature
Nose : Heavy citrus, more dried fruits. Sweets(subtle bourbon toffes) oily wood. Palate : Round oily. wood again Nose is like Palate. Nice cereals. Finish : Middle long peppery Comment : - Colour : copper Score : 83
Age : 12 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 40% Bottler : matt page	Type : Single Malt Region : Speyside Water : - Ice : - Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Deactivated Member]

I'm going to keep the FR until last, as that's the only one I've tried previously and loved, so I want to try everything else before going to that one again.

[Ras Mazunga]

Some info of the internet:

The 12-year-old single malt from the Speyside distillery is a "marriage" from three cask types - first-fill bourbon barrels, refill casks and sherry butts.

[Deactivated Member]

Some info of the internet:

The 12-year-old single malt from the Speyside distillery is a "marriage" from three cask types - first-fill bourbon barrels, refill casks and sherry butts.

Ah, so I see. A vatting of bits and bobs. Interesting...

[Deactivated Member]

Poring the 15yo now. No details of the cask as it's a miniature and nobody could physically write the details in the tiny wee boxes on the label.

[Deactivated Member]

I wasn't incredibly impressed by the Signature yesterday

Hi Nick. I've just spotted the link in your signature and will be spending some time flicking through your photos.

[Ras Mazunga]

Some more net info:

Balvenie Single Barrel
Reader Alan Lazerow had some questions about Balvenie Single Barrel:

What is the bottling process for a "single barrel" Scotch (ie, the Balvenie 15)? Obviously, since it's not cask strength, they can't just pop a tap into the barrel...correct?

I'm assuming that they run it through the dilution and filtration process by itself (ie with no other casks)....sounds expensive.

Why the decision to bottle at at a higher ABV as opposed to the more standard 40-46%? I just assumed that they only bottled at higher % than 46% when doing a cask strength....

Finally - why call it a single barrel, and not single cask? I thought single barrel was mainly used for bourbons...

Ian Millar, Chief Brand Ambassador for Balvenie & Glenfiddich, gives us the following answers:

Kevin,
The bottling process is simple, the barrel is removed from warehouse and transferred up to the bottling line, where it is decanted into a break tank using a small a pump.

In the break tank it is reduced to about 48% ABV. One barrel is too little in volume to chill filter - for chill filtration you would need a minimum of 12 barrels to make it worth your while - the equipment requires at least 4 barrels just to fill it up. The whisky is then pumped through two carbon in-line filters into the bottling filler heads - I told you it was simple.

We reduce to 48% as below 46% it would be cloudy. 48% also offers us the best starting point for tasting this whisky - but allows the buyer to add further water to meet personal tastes.

A cask can be an: American Oak Barrel at 185 litres, a Hogshead at 250 litres or a European Oak Butt at 500 litres. A Hogshead is used more often than not for our Single Barrel - and always American Oak, hence the slightly different taste from the usual Balvenie.

Why "Barrel"? The word cask covers all types of maturation wood and therefore fairly generic, "Single Barrel" is more appropriate and is less confusing with Cask Finish.

[Ras Mazunga]

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Brand : The Balvenie Expression : Single Barrel 15
Nose : bourbon, vanilla, honey,rum, pipe tobacco, citrus Palate : oily, malt, cereal, sweet corn. Finish : middle long, bourbon-ish, later some vegetables Comment : Impressive Colour : gold Score : 86
Age : 17 Years Old Vintage : 17/5/1990 ABV : 47,8% Bottler : Matt Page	Type : Single Malt Region : Speyside Water : - Ice : - Glass : - Notes : 250l hogshed american oak
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Deactivated Member]

The Balvenie Single Barrel 15yo
Brand : The Balvenie Expression : Single Barrel
Nose : Light, subtle. Floral notes and a sherry sweetness. Palate : Sweet. Honey. Sherry. Finish : Sweet and warming like a chocolate liqueur. Not too long. Comment : A little too sweet for my liking, almost sickeningly so. Colour : gold / deep gold Score : 80
Age : 15 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 47.8% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Speyside Water : Nope Ice : None Glass : Glencairn Notes : No cask numbers on miniature label.
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Deactivated Member]

You liked the Single Barrel then? I'm beginning to think I'm not a fan of sherry whiskies. I think I found that out at a Glenfarclas tasting on Friday night.

I do like these, though. But I'm getting the way I did on Friday where I feel a bit sickened by sweetness.

[Deactivated Member]

Always good to have a photographic stocklist handy!

[Deactivated Member]

I think I'm going to get another glass for the PW and leave the Single Barrel for now...

[Ras Mazunga]

You don't like sherried? The Doublewood is mainly sherry.

[Deactivated Member]

You don't like sherried? The Doublewood is mainly sherry.

Yeah, I know...I think I mean a lot of sherries, one after the other...

[Deactivated Member]

The Balvenie Portwood 21yo
Brand : The Balvenie Expression : Portwood
Nose : Fruit. Raisins. Palate : A bit of a tang/pepper spice at first leading to dates and slightly bitter chocolate. Finish : Syrupy - ends with slight dark chocolate. Light and not overly long. Comment : - Colour : Amber Score : 85
Age : 21 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 40% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Speyside Water : Nope Ice : None Glass : Tumbler Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Ras Mazunga]

I like to compare the DW12 to Aberlour 10. The Aberlour is more interesting/ less boring in my opinion because the malt taste isn't overwhelmed by the sherry.

PW21 again...

[Ras Mazunga]

Dates! That's what it is, finally.

[Deactivated Member]

Dates! That's what it is, finally.

I struggled with that for a bit too. I really need to stock up on more fruit in this house...

[Deactivated Member]

Okay, I just have the Founder's Reserve left which I already know that I love so I'll pour a wee one of that and then try a couple of the others again.

[Ras Mazunga]

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Brand : The Balvenie Expression : Portwood 21
Nose : Cooked jam with dates, do I smell smoke? Palate : Fruits, new wood, honey, smoke again Finish : Looooong, not so sweet as expected, old whisky, heavy, wet cake Comment : - Colour : old gold Score : 0
Age : 21 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 40% Bottler : dist	Type : Single Malt Region : Speyside Water : - Ice : - Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Deactivated Member]

The Balvenie Founder's Reserve 10yo
Brand : The Balvenie Expression : -
Nose : Chocolate-covered coffee beans. Palate : Syrup. Finish : Treacle and pepper. Comment : Not so keen on this this time. I think I'm Balvenied-out. Colour : Dark gold / light amber Score : 85
Age : 10 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 40% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Speyside Water : Nope Ice : None Glass : Glencairn Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[blawder]

It Would Be Rude Not To

Thanks.

[Deactivated Member]

I think I need to try them again later with a fresh mouth - the Doublewood for me was the best tonight, but that was the first one I tried.

[blawder]

Balvenie 12 Doublewood
Brand : The Balvenie Expression : Doublewood
Nose : Fresh, faintly citrus, floral. Palate : Smooth, a little oily. Finish : Long, sherry, fresh fruit. Comment : This one seems to be all about the finish. Colour : Amber Score : 0
Age : 12 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 43% Bottler : OB	Type : Single Malt Region : Speyside Water : Tiny bit of spring water Ice : None Glass : Tulip Nosing Glass Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

"Baby's first tasting note."

[Ras Mazunga]

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Brand : The Balvenie Expression : Founders Reserve 10yo
Nose : cereal, weetabix, hay, later vanilla with leather Palate : fresh, citrus, Finish : oily, long for a 10yo, get a peppery pear sensation, nice Comment : This one might be the best imho Colour : - Score : 85
Age : 10 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 43% Bottler : dist	Type : Single Malt Region : Speyside Water : - Ice : - Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Ganga]

To answer the question posed on woody, I really am looking for things that say wood: oak, cedar, etc (cinnamon too). However, I don't associate all spices to wood but I do associate astringency to oak - too much wood shop I guess. I also look at how strong the flavor is. This is all very subjective as to how strongly the flavor comes out.

I have had a few that tasted of fresh oak (think wood shop) and others that were more like rotting wood. I even have had tastes that were like sawdust. Yes, I did taste cedar in one whisky.

For me something that rates a 3 on the scale is prominent flavor, 4 is very strong, 5 is in your face. Maybe sometime I'll do tasting notes on the Laphroaig 7 from Binny's. The peat and smoke in there is really up in the 4 or 5 range.

[Ras Mazunga]

Thanks Ganga, during the last tasting I started to realise something like you are writing.

[Reggaeblues]

Oh dear. Not a drop of Balvenie in ma wee house!Unless you count the last dram of "Monkey Shoulder - an "aperitif" dram I like a lot - which is one third Balvenie.

But i recall most fondly the 15YO single barrel of 3/4 years ago...at 50.4%. Rich, deep layers of malt, cereal, toffee etc. Very rounded..; a bit like the glenfiddich Solera on steroids...||I remember having it on New year'[s, at 3am following a gig. Fantastic!

the following one at 47.8% was also most distinctive, but more cedary/sandalwood and cereal.

Also tried the Islay Cask finish 17 YO. it was good...but I remember thinking "What's the point?"

Was never a big fan of the 10 or the DW...always preferred macallans and highland Parks, heathen that i am.

So, the monkey shoulder it is! (Hard to assess as i just polished off an Aberlour b20 at 60ish% and this is only 40%!!)

Nose:Pear Drops, citrus, grassy... touch of oak

Palate: smooth, can taste the glenfiddich...butterscotch, cereal note; less sweetness, but more complexity than the Balvenie FR as i recall...I remember a gingery note when i first opened the bottle, but this seems to have diminished.

Finish: slight recall of the Balvenie 15 50.4%(see above)slight return of the citrus note on the nose. Pleasant oiliness. Clean. Late, lasting sweetness.

comment: Definite thread emerging from nose to finish. A great "evening opener" dram.

Just wish I had a pukka Balvenie to share with y'all!

[TheTross]

I know I'm dragging this thread back up, but I said I'd do a tasting and contribute a couple of notes this morning owing to me missing the actual event. All are without water and from a tulip glass.

Balvenie 10 Founder's Reserve (40%, OB)

Nose: Notes of vanilla ice-cream. Honeyed and vaguely nutty. Fruit (melon). Quite bourbon-like really. Custard Cream biscuits.

Palate: Biscuity and a little sour. Becomes a little cheek-drying. 'Exotic' fruit (melon, banana etc).

Finish: Lasts a while. Menthol and weak citrus cordial. Bourbon again. Something faintly herby appears within a few seconds of the swallow.


Balvenie 12 Doublewood (40%, OB)

Nose: Velvety. Creamy and lightly spiced. A little oak. Honeyed and sweet, with notes of butter and caramel. Lots of milk chocolate. Citrus fruits. Maybe a little herby/grassy? Small doses of liquorice.

Palate: Very smooth, mainly on citrus fruit and chocolate but also with a little honey thrown in for good measure. A nice winy character.

Finish: Winy again and quite long. Very faint menthol.


Balvenie 17 Sherryoak (43%, OB)

Nose: Party balloons initially, which mostly gives way to rich, bitter chocolate and fruitcake with plenty of marzipan. Lots of sherry presence. Also like sniffing a freshly-opened packet of wine gums! Faint hints of wood polish. The typical Balvenie character shines through after a few minutes. Dark fruit and possibly hints of Ribena/Vimto concentrate. Baklavas.

Palate: Yep, it's sherried alright! Slightly drying. Chocolate and a little vanilla and honey. Soft dark fruit. Wine gums again... Eminently drinkable.

Finish: Fruity and sherried, and long. And black wine gums...


Balvenie 21 Portwood (40%, OB)

Nose: Incredibly soft and immediately winy. Blackcurrant cordial, blackcurrant-flavoured sweets. Marzipan. Certainly very sweet. A very slight earthiness? Tobacco? A hint of citrus fruits. Very un-whisky-like but very, very good.

Palate: Very fruity (dark fruits, blackcurrant especially). Quite oily and slightly cheek-drying. Very sweet again, and now really struggling to class it as whisky.

Finish: Fruity and with the typical honeyed Balvenie character. Still incredibly sweet though, with the port influence playing a strong part.

[Ras Mazunga]

@The Tross: Beautifull notes, a pleasure to read.

[Ganga]

Tross, wonderful notes. I read through the notes of yours and mentally compared them to what I tasted on Saturday. Very interesting the way each of us interprets those flavors. I also noted that we get a slightly higher ABV (43% to 40%). It would be interesting to compare these side by side.

[Di Blasi]

I will have to review Tross's notes when I get to my samples, which happily arrived today, thanks again Matt and Balvenie!!

[SoMK]

And of course, thanks to Heathrow, I totally missed the tasting ! *I will post nonetheless better late than never.. off to catch up ! *

[woodhill]

SoMK

were you caught up in the new terminal fiasco?