Unveiled in 2014, the 15 Year Old Single Barrel Sherry Cask is a wonderful sight from Balvenie - single malt Scotch whisky fully matured in Sherry casks. These are released in batches of no larger than 800 bottles from a single cask, each one being hand numbered. Although no two casks are the same, and therefore won't produce an identical single malt, the casks are carefully selected by Balvenie's Malt Master and feature a consistent, rich, spiced character, complimented by hints of elegant oak.
Dense Christmas cake with icing, full of sticky, syrupy dried fruits, cherries, finely chopped nuts and grated nutmeg. Flamed orange peel, ginger, a hint of struck match (but only very subtle in the sample we tasted), fresh orange segments and plums develop.
Big old fashioned Sherry matured character, more bread-like fruitcake, malt loaf and nutty Oloroso. Slightly bitter and rum-like, superb.
Spicy fruitcake with cocoa.
Classic Sherry matured whisky, really top stuff.
Balvenie are producing the kind of whisky I like. I get the sense this team are trying to fill the void left by the Macallan shift and then some more with the rum and portwood finishes. This is no exception. Batch variation in mind, I felt just a little to much of the sulphur which I ordinarily enjoy if it is there as just "a touch". Hence I knocked off half a star. This is the Dreamliner of sherry single malts -- Mifune
I'm not normally a big fan of the sherried scotches, and nor of Balvenie usually, but this one was great. Solid leathery mouthfeel with the hint of sweetness given by the sherry. Nose roughly the same, and reasonably long finish. Not overdone like various sherry monsters. Didn't taste the stale wood mentioned in previous reviews. Not sure if those reviews just had different expectations or if the consistency is poor.
Placed the review for wrong product should have been 15 year old single barrel not sherry cask
Forgot to rate the Balvennie
I was lucky to find 3 bottles of this all from different casks at an Asda store in the North East for £35 a bottle I have had bottles of this before and it is always a very superior whisky mellow sweet full flavoured a delight to open every bottle.never be as lucky again to obtain whisky as good as this at £35
