Balvenie Single Barrel 15 Year Old

I'm not a big fan of single malt .... My dear friend gave me a bottle of the 15 yr old as a gift and I must say,it was..... GOOOOOOOOD. A little strong for the novices but I loved it. Keep up the good work. Thank you for taking care of the husbands of the world who stress and worry about tomorrow!!!

25th January 2015

I'm in warm-up mode for a long New Year's Eve and selected this 1/4 full Balvenie, which has been lurking at the back of my whisky shed for 8 years or more, a 2006 bottling, as a starter dram, yes, an aperitif, if you like!. Although it won't have done anything in the bottle, it is still awfully good with that sublime finish that someone said had some Bourbon spiciness in it - I'd go with that. It really is very very good, and will be finished 'ere the clock strikes 12.

31st December 2014

lovely whisky.. smooth

26th October 2014

I know a lot of folk on here have described this as an after-dinner whiskey, but I actually think its delicateness makes it a good aperitif as well. Really exquisite and very smooth.

7th September 2014

My go-to has been the 12 year Double Wood for some time now after having tried many other brands. My local guy surprised me at checkout with an opportunity to get a bottle of this. What a find. A little more $$ than what I like to spend on a bottle, but boy-oh-boy what a wonderfully smooth and delicious taste and finish. Would make this my go to if I could find in the $50-60 range like some posters claim.

23rd June 2014

This is only the second of the Balvenie range I have tried after the Doublewood, but I found it to be delicious - smooth like vanilla, but with enough of a kick.

2nd June 2014

This can be found at 60 US online; wonderful and consistent malt. My go-too everyday scotch.

15th March 2014

Nice aroma and flavor, vanilla, sweet earthy. Pair with a nice cigar and your day is complete.

18th February 2014

got a bottle for $30 at my local Walgreens ,( due to a mistake in price label )and although I'm not a scotch aficionado it looked like a a really good deal and holy jesus , as far as I'm concerned it's the best .I am now a convert.

11th February 2014

Cask number 1207. Vanilla is dominant on the nose. Very smooth and wonderful. Warming. Not as sweet as the 17 double wood.
Balvenie is my favorite.

9th February 2014

Rating within class and price range. Slightly high price keeps it just to the left of a 9, but no quibbles with those who rank it higher. It's excellent.

7th February 2014

Subjectively, nothing. A beautiful pour at 47.8% that refuses to offend in any way but is far from bland...like unexpectedly finding a 30ish Ursula Andress in the buff on your couch. You might _like_ a taste of Eva Mendez Islay or Raquel Welch Highlands, but this is worth your time.

Batch M12161100 (back label)/M12131100 (front label)

7th February 2014

Fine balanced representation of the Balvenies. Received a bottle as a "50th" birthday gift. May drop an Alaskan snowflake or two in the quaich tonight and see what comes out.

21st December 2013

I have been a fan of the 12 year double wood for years and never tried the 15 year having heard it was not as good. IMHO, the 15 year blows it away. For those who like some sweetness, this is a great scotch. As I also like American Bourbon, my palate tends to the sweeter whiskies. I cannot find this locally now so had to order online. The only scotch that I liked better was a Dalwhinnie 25 year, which I was told one cannot purchase except at the distillery and only by the teeny tiny glass. Paired nice with the chocolates we had. Or maybe it was the single cask Dalwhinnie? In any event, I really like the Balvenie 15 year.

18th December 2013

I really enjoy the sweetness infused in the smoke and oakiness. It is important to put this particular scotch in perspective. It cannot be justly compared to an Islay for example. A good analog is comparing paintings; can a Rembrandt and a Warhol be judged against each other? Absolutely not! Each brings its own music to the dance!! This whisky has its own character and should be judged on the quality and cleanliness of the particular tastes, and should not have tastes that clash, like fruit and fish; great individually but not usually a good mix. It is important to consider the tasting situation. Have you just chewed gum, smoked a cigarette or kissed a frog? All can affect your senses!!! Just having fun.

12th November 2013

Honey and Vanilla on the nose with a wonderful taste and finish.

23rd October 2013

Just two bottles in but both quite different. The first one was perfect. Smooth, honey, vanilla, with deep deep oak and some spice. The second bottle was more harsh and alcoholic. Some of the elements of the first still their but overall more jagged and less enjoyable.

24th August 2013

I normally do not write reviews on whisky (especially if I did not like it) as taste is something purely subjective. But here I felt I had to defend this excellent malt against some of this reviews here.

Usually I am a drinker of smokey and peaty Island whiskies and only occasionally I find a Speyside product that I really enjoy (and most of the time it is a Macallan) but this Single Cask Balvenie made an excellent impression on me. The Nose is very fresh, clean and sweet. Its Body is full, rich and fruity whilst its Palate gives me the impression of heather honey and fresh vanilla with a touch of lime. It has a long Finish that tastes sweet and fruity.

Over all an excellent cask with just the right amount of ABV.

19th August 2013

I paid $89 (just a little too much) at the local Publix. Ugh I am so disappointed. It's so sweet and honey-like- not my preference at all. I like a more powerful Scotch, this tasted weak and just so dang sweet. My favorite cheap drinker is Glenmorangie and I love the Oban 14. In the bottle it's pretty dark and the aroma is just plain boring- no spice at all. My wife will probably love this when she gets in town.

17th August 2013

this malt scotch wiskey got me drunker than a fool.

5th June 2013

Love it.

21st April 2013

Love it. I'm typically a Smokey flavored fan but the batch I got was spot on.

21st April 2013

Glug glug glug!

9th March 2013

Never put the pure brown sugar before the dirty green cream.

24th December 2012

While the Balvenie Double Barrel I sampled last night was decent, this sample was not at all enjoyable. The color was pale, the aroma bland, and the limited flavors were mostly hidden by alcohol burn. On the whole: an unpleasant whisky. Karl

5th October 2012

I came across my first bottle 10 - 12 years ago. And I really liked it. My friends and I have emptied over 100 bottles since then and we still love it.

14th September 2012

Not exactly value for money, but this is a very good Balvenie nonetheless - quite different from the standard expressions.

22nd June 2012

I love this Balvenie - very nice malt!!!

15th April 2012

Maybe it depends on which batch it is,but i have NEVER been disapointed at this Balvenie! Great one.

17th January 2012

balvenie single barrel

19th November 2011

I bought this whisky because I had tried some from a previous barrel at a friend's house and it blew me away. It was so delicate and smooth with beautiful flavours of vanilla fudge, powdered oak and an underlying nuttiness; it walked a wonderful line between simplicity and complexity that made it quite beguiling. I had to buy a bottle for myself, but when it arrived I was gutted. No complexity, no vanilla fudge, no powdered oak, no nuttiness, just a sharp, unpleasant characterless thug across the palate every time I take a sip. I've been told by many that these bottlings are remarkably consistent in quality, but I'm gutted that I spent £50 on this when I rarely allow myself the treat of buying a bottle of whisky for myself.

26th June 2011

I hope the conversation was better than your review which like the Balvenie was very bland indeed.
James Saxon

3rd June 2011

My employees give me a bottle of Single Malt Scotch each year for Xmas.I received this one in 2007 and never opened it until this Xmas 2010. Not sure why I waited so long. Excellent long lasting finish of spices. We sampled this with a few Cuban cigars and good conversation.

10th January 2011

A great sipping malt which I first chanced upon in 1999 in Keswick. Always have a couple of bottles in! Great after taste which leaves a warm glow

7th December 2009