Like the famous 12 year old expression this Balvenie has been matured in two types of cask, the key difference this has been given an extra five years of cask ageing. A great release for 2012.
This bottle was part of a private collection - if you'd like more detailed info and/or photos just get in touch!
Warm Acacia honey and green apples on the nose leading to warm winter spices, vanilla and honeysuckle on the palate. The finish is gloriously long with notes of vanilla and honey.
A very reasonable whisky, though the cloying sweetness that I assume is from the sherry cask just ruins it for me. I start out noticing the light spice on my tongue, with a nice sweetness, then shortly after I wonder what happened and why I still taste a heavy lingering sweetness. Sherry always ruins it for me, should know better.
No idea why there is bad reviews on this one! You like Balvenie? You'll love this.
The nose is clean with a promising hopes of sweetness from the sherry - but I could hardly pick up anything past the oak. A tiny bit of honeysuckle and maybe stone fruit comes through, finishing with vanilla. However the intensity of the oak makes it so dry that it seems to evaporate off the palate (literally) before it can be truly tasted. The finish is long, indeed, but I thought I'd been chewing on wood chips. Overall - a decent dram that I didn't mind tasting, but far overpriced. the quality is there but the blatant imbalance masks "what could have been". perhaps their next release will have more influence from the sherry casks - that I'd like to see.
this is my fave scotch. outstanding, smooth and enjoyable right through. any reviews that are negative are really quite unbelievable. ! well done Balvenie
I have to say I enjoyed this greatly, when I finish this bottle I will buy another to have around for those special occasions.
