Balvenie New Wood 17yo

[bamber]

This made be laugh:

https://www.lfw.co.uk/shopframe.asp?Tar ... nie_5.html

[hpulley]

Still almost two weeks until April 1st so it must be legit. I suspect Richard Joynson himself wrote that up. He has that sense of humor though with six cases of Spishak Granny Perfume and Single Malt Scotch Whisky to move, he may not really be laughing. There's one for the collectors and they can have it by the sound of those notes!

Harry

[Paul A Jellis]

That would be thumbs down then . . .

Cheers

Paul

[Deactivated Member]

The estimable Mr Joynson gets major points for integrity. Imagine writing up such notes for something you want to sell. Must say I'm curious--if this is really such a bad Balvenie, it'll be a first in my book.

[bamber]

Very true Mr T. If I saw it in a bar I'd jump at a dram !!

Mad is it not.

[richard]

i am wright or wrong is there seventy seven barrels of this stuff if so its a bit frieghtening

i take richardjoyhsons tastings notes with a pinch of salt but he does have a good sense of homour


richard

[Jan]

The estimable Mr Joynson gets major points for integrity. Imagine writing up such notes for something you want to sell.

Well said, TattieHeid, one should almost reward his candor by buying a bottle. Well almost.

Does anybody know what "New wood" means in this context? A finish of some kind I suppose?

Cheers
Jan

[richard]

well i was wrong 79 casks my idea of new wood is it hasnt had any kind of spirit or alcahol in it before basicallly a fresh cask

richard

[Deactivated Member]

That's exactly what I would guess, and it's rather surprising to me that Balvenie put this stuff in fresh wood seventeen years ago. I'd bet they didn't originally think of bottling it as a single. Even if it is awful, it would be extremely interesting to try this.

[parvus]

It's not aged entirely in fresh wood, it was matured as any Balvenie is, and then finished for 2 months in fresh oak, from what I can gather.

I didn't think you were legally allowed to sell it as whisky if it was matured soley in fresh wood.

[hpulley]

Hmm, I wonder why it's so bad then. While not great value at $140/bottle, the Glengoyne 15yo Scottish Oak finish spends 3 months and 10 days in new scottish oak and doesn't get all weird. LFW's notes on the 15yo Glengoyne are quite good though like me he says the 17yo is the pick of the litter (though he doesn't list the 21yo which is even better, except for the price increase).

Harry

[Deactivated Member]

It's not aged entirely in fresh wood, it was matured as any Balvenie is, and then finished for 2 months in fresh oak, from what I can gather.

I'm almost disappointed, although certainly any lengthy time in fresh oak would have been overpowering, let alone 17 years. Well, makes more sense now.

I didn't think you were legally allowed to sell it as whisky if it was matured soley in fresh wood.

Don't see why not. Bourbon must use fresh wood; Scotch whisky customarily uses second-hand barrels, but I don't believe there is any legal prohibition of new barrels. Just needs to spend three years in oak. I'm sure someone will tell me if I'm wrong!

[hpulley]

It is not traditional for scotch to be aged in new wood so the SWA frowns upon it and overall I think it is a no-no. The 2-3 month period in new wood seems to be allowed as it's like putting them in new shipping barrels for a short period or something.

John Glaser didn't want the expense of having new barrels made up so he just pegs some fresh staves to the inside of his barrels for his Spice Tree expression which has also invoked the wrath of the Association.

Harry

[parvus]

Perhaps 'legal' was too harsh a word to use. Perhaps kosher (and not the literal meaning of the word) or not common, or something else entirely.

I have to say that i'm a little disappointed to see that Balvenie continue to bottle at 40% for most of their product line (15 SC exluded). I'd love a Balvenie CS or higher ABV, 40% just seems a bit watery on the Balvenies i've had so far.

[Deactivated Member]

I agree--the 15, at 47.8 (apparently not actually cask strength, but 46-50% seems like a good range) and the 25, at 46.9%, are wonderful. Save your shekels and get a bottle of 30yo (47.3%). Your wallet will hate you, but your mouth will be in heaven. Wish I could afford to follow my own advice; it's $369 here. Maybe I'll buy one in Scotland next year. That's vacation spending, not real money.

[parvus]

I don't think i'll ever own a bottle that expensive. £275 = $770 NZD. That's $1.10 a mL! I can think of plenty of other bottles i'd rather have for that sort of cash.

[hpulley]

Save your shekels and get a bottle of 30yo (47.3%). Your wallet will hate you, but your mouth will be in heaven. Wish I could afford to follow my own advice; it's $369 here. Maybe I'll buy one in Scotland next year. That's vacation spending, not real money.

That isn't bad. It's almost $650 here!

Harry

[Lawrence]

There's no legal reason why scotch whisky cannot be matured in new wood. There are pratical reasons that make it uncommon but it is perfectly legal to do so.

[Deactivated Member]

Save your shekels and get a bottle of 30yo (47.3%). Your wallet will hate you, but your mouth will be in heaven. Wish I could afford to follow my own advice; it's $369 here. Maybe I'll buy one in Scotland next year. That's vacation spending, not real money.

That isn't bad. It's almost $650 here!

Harry

I'd say that's Canucki Bucks, but you guys are catching up with us fast, thanks to our leaders' brilliant fiscal and monetary policies. Next thing you know, we'll be suffering Fahrenheit deflation.

I would think that I know this already, but do the prices you quote include GST and PST?

[Lawrence]

I would think that I know this already, but do the prices you quote include GST and PST?

Yes.

I hate the GST (the Canadian version of VAT), commonly known as the "Grab & Snatch Tax".

[Deactivated Member]

I would think that I know this already, but do the prices you quote include GST and PST?

Yes.

Geez, Lawrence, that should read "Yes. " "No. " would mean the actual cost is even higher.

No one likes taxes--Americans, the most lightly taxed population in the industrialized world, are the biggest complainers. We all agree that governments should be kept on their toes and made to justify all expenditure, but in the end you gotta pay the bills. Just be glad you aren't saddled with the most expensive, inequitable, and unresponsive health care system in the world, as we are.

[Lawrence]

I think the Albertans are the most lightly taxed population in the industrialized world but maybe I'm just being picky.

In any case I hate the GST.

[Deactivated Member]

Not meaning you particularly, Lawrence, but I'm saddened to see Canadians starting to be tax-whiners like Americans. No one likes to pay taxes, but politics and government here are crippled by the perception that taxes are evil and must only be cut, never raised. Quebec has the peculiar situation (I don't know if it's true in other provinces) that the provincial tax is figured on top of the federal GST--in other words, the tax is taxed. When Stephen Harper (Canadian PM, for those of you who have been out of touch since the days of Trudeau) proposed cutting the GST to 5%, Jean Charest (Quebec premier) mused that Quebec would have to raise its provincial tax slightly to make up the difference. This caused a ruckus, even though he only meant to keep the actual amount of provincial tax collected the same. People have simply lost all rationality about taxes. The cheap and cynical view that government is intrinsically bad is easier to sell. Our current government ran on that idea, and, once in power, set about proving it was true.

I suppose I oughtn't post this, as it breaks the taboo here on political subjects. But taxes are something we, as whisky drinkers, are concerned about; our biggest gripe is inequity form country to country and even state to state or province to province. We all know the old saw about death and taxes, but we seem to forget the point: that both, unpleasant as they are, are unavoidable. The most we can ask is that we don't die too young, don't get taxed inequitably, and that in either case we meet our obligation with dignity.

[kallaskander]

Hi there,

"Taxes are not levied to the benefit of the taxed"

Robert A. Heinlein from "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long"

Greetings
kallaskander

[hpulley]

Liquor taxes are generally of the 'luxury' or 'sin' category. You don't need to buy it so don't complain that it is taxed really high. And single malt drinkers, especially those who buy expensive aged expressions will get very little sympathy from your average joe/jane. We pay more than our fair share but what to do? Drink up and don't worry about it too much. Either run for office or forget about seeing lower taxes with the same services. Gov't is just a big, inefficient machine and there is little than can be done to help it. Just too many people in it.

Harry

[Lord_Pfaffin]

I would think that I know this already, but do the prices you quote include GST and PST?

Yes.

I hate the GST (the Canadian version of VAT), commonly known as the "Grab & Snatch Tax".

I heartily disagree. The GST is a fair tax that should not be reduced or removed. Before we had the GST we had a hidden 11% manufactured goods tax. The GST is a "fair tax" because it taxes the rich more and the excess is used to drive important social-aid programs and infra-structure for the lower middle-class and poor. Any redudtion or removal of the GST is an outright attack on the lower and middle glass people of the country.

[Lawrence]

I suppose I oughtn't post this, as it breaks the taboo here on political subjects

I agree, we shouldn't.

[Lord_Pfaffin]

Forgot to mention that i use my GST rebate to buy whisky.

[Danny]

Here is the description and tasting note from the Balvnie site.

The Balvenie NewWood 17 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a single batch Balvenie, matured in just 79 traditional oak casks and transferred to NewWood casks for four months. The casks are coopered from Quercus Alba, American white oak, which has been toasted and then charred, but never previously held any liquid.

Using over 40 years’ experience and expertise in maturation, MaltMaster, David Stewart regularly sampled this specially selected Balvenie to ensure just the right amount of character was imparted by the NewWood casks, enhancing and developing the single malt, whilst preserving the distinctive honeyed characteristics of The Balvenie.

The result is a characteristically well-matured Balvenie; its soft, honey and oaky notes are beautifully balanced with a delicate influence from the NewWood adding spiciness and hints of vanilla.

New Wood is rarely used in Scotland as the flavour it imparts on the whisky can be over-powering. David Stewart carefully monitored each cask and deemed all 79 casks ready for bottling after just four months ‘finishing’ in new oak casks.



Nose ~ Gentle oaky richness with a hint of spice and restrained honey notes on the nose

Taste ~ Richly layered with soft oaky vanilla tones, backed by distant spiciness and characteristic Balvenie honey sweetness. The finish is soft, warm and lingering.

[Elliot]

The estimable Mr Joynson gets major points for integrity. Imagine writing up such notes for something you want to sell. Must say I'm curious--if this is really such a bad Balvenie, it'll be a first in my book.

If he's as brutally honest as it seems, he certainly deserves credit for it. Just think, if he's willing to write a review like that of his own product, imagine how good a product must be if he praises it highly.

[Frodo]

Forgot to mention that i use my GST rebate to buy whisky.

[Deactivated Member]

I may be sticking my neck out a little here and I'll be buying a bottle from the Bold Joynson (he's cheaper than the distillery )

It's a Balvenie and David Stewart doesn't fire out bad whisky - he just doesn't. If he thinks it's OK it will be fine.
Perhaps it won't measure up to the 15, 25 or 30 but then, few do. It'll still be a good whisky though and I suspect that the Bold is disappointed that he hasn't identified another Ace!

Mind you I know what he means about Jenners prefumery! It is overpowering but had to be endured on the way to the toy department. But it was worth it

[MGillespie]

Let us know what you think of it...not sure if it'll be available over here...

Mark

[Sherried Malt]

Let us know what you think of it...not sure if it'll be available over here...

Mark, it's available in the States or will be very shortly. You might try calling Spirit Haus in Amherst, if you know the shop...

I tried it at Whisky Live and it's a nice drink. I also tried the Balvenie 30, which I preferred.

Think I also prefer the 21 yo Portwood, but by a smaller margin...

[MGillespie]

Let us know what you think of it...not sure if it'll be available over here...

Mark, it's available in the States or will be very shortly. You might try calling Spirit Haus in Amherst, if you know the shop...

I tried it at Whisky Live and it's a nice drink. I also tried the Balvenie 30, which I preferred.

Think I also prefer the 21 yo Portwood, but by a smaller margin...

You were there and didn't say hello???

I also tried it there, and it's outstanding! It'll be out starting next week...

Mark