shortage of Balvenie 15 single barrel?

Related whiskies : The Balvenie 15 Years Old , The Balvenie 15 Years Old Single Barrel

by **beemer05** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 10:07 pm

Recently I have been having trouble finding the Balvenie 15 year old Single Barrel in my local shops (San Francisco Bay Area). Has anyone heard news relating to this bottling? The Balvenie website contains no mention of news realted to this - maybe it is just a case of low demand for the product in my area?

by **hpulley** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 1:50 pm

The LCBO in Ontario recently purchased a bunch of cask 1812, 47.8% Balvenie single barrel 15yo. I have bottle #173. It is very good, my favorite Balvenie so far. I hope you can find some in your area or via mail order.

I don't think there is any shortage. Each 15yo single barrel is from one cask and I suspect they have more casks around.

Harry

by **Jeroen Kloppenburg** » Sun Oct 05, 2003 11:41 am

Hmm, I just bought a Single Barrel 25 years in SPain while travelling. I enver knew there was 2 ages in their "Single Barrel" standard bottling...

This 25 Years old is bottled at 46,9ABV, the 15 year too?

by **hpulley** » Sun Oct 05, 2003 12:27 pm

The strength varies. The last 15yo single barrel we saw here was the 50.4% but the current barrel is 47.8%. I'm not sure that is truly an undiluted amount unless this was a particularly angelic cask for 15 years but it tastes good so I don't care!

Harry

by **Jeroen Kloppenburg** » Sun Oct 05, 2003 1:39 pm

You saw a 25yr old too harry? Or is this 25year I got something for duty free only?

by **hpulley** » Sun Oct 05, 2003 1:47 pm

We have a 25yo single barrel in Canada too but the one currently in stock is 46.0% ABV. A different barrel again, I suspect.

Harry

Website · by **whiskyjack7** » Sun Oct 05, 2003 3:13 pm

the 25 single barrel I got from the LCBO is 700ml 46.9% cask date 12.11.74 the 15year cask date 5 . 2. 80 at 50.4 %also have a bottle of vintage cask 1951 bottle nov 7 1996 all are single cask other Balvine I have founder's reserve 10yr 750ml 40%,, doublewood 12year first csak oak ,second cask sherry oak750ml 40%,, port wood21year 750ml 40%fisrt cask oak second portuguese oak .. all but the 1951 we can still get at the LCBO.

by **r0b** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 11:21 pm

The 25 year-old is widely available, not just duty-free. It's a damn fine dram, the best Spesider there is.

Website · by **whiskyjack7** » Sun Dec 28, 2003 6:54 pm

THE LCBO will be releasing the 15year old in a gift tupe on JAN 10 2004 #366963 at $89.95 for 750ml.single barrel for ROBBIE BURNS ..DAY JAN 25 ....
as of christmas day there was also the 25year old at 174.95
canadian funds

by **hpulley** » Sun Dec 28, 2003 8:18 pm

15yo has been out for a while in Ontario. I have a bottle of the current 47.8% version and find it be very good. Nice to get bourbon casked speysiders like The Balvenie.

Harry

Website · by **whiskyjack7** » Sun Dec 28, 2003 8:52 pm

yes the 15 year has been out fot some time, but this is a new release for the new year so the is no shortage here

by **hpulley** » Sun Dec 28, 2003 11:19 pm

Perhaps the LCBO is the reason for the shortage elsewhere

Enjoying a glass of it right now in fact. Lovely, lovely nose with even a hint of peat, nice malty cereal and leather, maybe vanilla; bit of an enigma that nose even 1/3 of a bottle later. Full mouthfeel, a bit warm and then a very warm finish. Tart in body and finish. Good, drinkable stuff.

Harry

by **WestVanDave** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 2:02 am

Harry - I take it you were drinking the 15-year old in your last posting... which cask number is it? Is yours the current stock now available in Ontario?

(I'm on my way to Toronto in the next couple of weeks and while I'm not a fan of your prices - or ours - compared to Alberta - you do get a great selection, especially in the Vintages outlets.)

I picked up a couple in Vancouver last week - Cask Number 3409 - Bottles 7 & 8... Bottled July 31/03 at 47.8%. The BC price is $89.95 Cdn. also ... I recall this being available in Alberta for around $75 (not the price savings I would normally expect from Alberta).

Cheers, Dave.

by **SasquatchMan** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 2:43 am

As soon as you drift into the really expensive malts, our "Alberta Advantage" flies out the window - the vendors know where the fat profit lies, unfortunately, and with deregulation...

by **WestVanDave** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 3:27 am

I'll agree that the gap narrows at times - however, I have found many a barg-oon even at the high end - and always better supply than what the BCLDB brings in. Between the Real Canadian Liquor Store and OK Liquor Store the best deals are on such mid-priced standbys as the Classic Malts at a 30 ~ 35% discount to BC prices.

Many a Bowmore and the Laphroig 10 yr. can exceed a 40% discount. The Highland Park 18 is $118 in BC, whereas I have found it for less than $75 in Alberta.

I have occassionally found a lower price in BC - for example, most recently the Glenfiddich Havana Cask at $120.

The balloon had been floated and BC was planning on privatizing the liquor stores - until the unions put up a stink touting such drivel as: prices will increase - and with an election on the horizon the current government backed down...

But I digress... heavy sigh.

Cheers, Dave.

by **hpulley** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 2:48 pm

I have bottle #173 of cask 1812, casked April 21, 1988, bottled April 24, 2003. I bought it in late summer so the current LCBO stock may well be from a different cask -- I'll check next time I'm in a liquor store.

Cask 3409, eh? The Balvenie stills must have been working 24/7 even in 1988, a year when many other distilleries were slowing down!

Harry

Related whiskies : The Balvenie 15 Years Old , The Balvenie 15 Years Old Single Barrel

shortage of Balvenie 15 single barrel?

shortage of Balvenie 15 single barrel?

balvine