Balvenie 29yo 1994+1996

Balvenie “Blended Malt Whisky” 29yo 1994+1996

Decadent Drinks
Teaspooned malt - Speyside 
Amber
53% ABV
Dram

Nose: Beeswax, cola nuts, honeycomb, malted grains, honey, foam shrimp, gooseberries. With water, honey, white pepper, sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cola nuts, beeswax, honeycomb, gooseberries, nectarines, greengages, lemon zest. With water, nectarines, honey, beeswax. 
Finish: Long. Honey, greengages, sandalwood, nectarines. 

Comments: 

Very waxy, plenty of peach. If you’d asked me to taste blind I’d have said this was Clynelish and not Balvenie. But that’s what it is, and there’s some notes of greengageS that hint a little bit at its origins.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 46yo 1968/2016 DCS Compendium Chapter 1

Balvenie 46yo 1968/2016 DCS Compendium Chapter 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber brown
45.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, white flowers, lemon zest, molasses, pear drops, blackcurrant cordial, cherries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, cool, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Blackcurrant cordial, black pepper, lemon zest, pear drops, cloves, hints of dark chocolate. 
Finish: Medium. Black pepper, pear drops, magic marker, dark chocolate, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask 7293. Sweet and luscious, lots of complexity with pear drops and dark chocolate. Also highly floral on the nose. Absolutely excellent. I think this may be the most expensive dram I’ve ever drank.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 29yo 1974/2004

Balvenie 29yo 1974/2004

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead 
Single malt - Speyside
Light amber
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, toffee, molasses, maraschino cherries, honey, pears. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, astringent, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Pears, strawberry jam, honey, cinnamon, molasses, white chocolate, maraschino cherries, nutmeg. 
Finish: Long. Pears, molasses, strawberry jam, white chocolate. 

Comments: 

Fruity and chocolatey, lots of sweet preserved fruit notes. There’s a big heaping note of almond maraschino on the tongue that threatens to overwhelm everything. But doesn’t quite. Lovely whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 19yo Edge of Burnhead Wood

Balvenie 19yo Edge of Burnhead Wood

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Orange gold
48.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, pears, raisins, cloves, roast chicken, molasses, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Molasses, pears, orange blossom, menthol, dark chocolate, cloves, malted grains, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, dark chocolate, malted grains, cloves, hints of orange blossom. 

Comments: 

Very floral and citrusy whisky - surprising, for Balvenie. It’s delicious, layered and complex, with a deep sweet note that gives body to the whisky. Excellent dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie Week of Peat 14yo

Balvenie Week of Peat 14yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Golden bronze
48.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, oranges, malted grains, fresh cut grass, rhubarb and custard sweets, cooked rice, hints of acetone. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, smoke, oranges, fresh cut grass, marmalade, figs, soot, honey, hints of black pepper.
Finish: Medium. Diesel exhaust, soot, honey, black pepper. 

Comments: 

Nice and peaty, but it’s a gentle peat that isn’t quite in your face. It’s also layered well with the fruit (figs, oranges and oddly, rhubarb and custard). There’s some diesel on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 15yo 1974/1990

Balvenie 15yo 197/1990

Vintage, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Bright yellow
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, gooseberries, papayas, white grapes, raisins, malted grains, hints of orange peel. With water, pear drops, malted grains, orange peel, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Peaches, gooseberries, damson jam, malted grains, cocoa nibs, black pepper, cloves, hints of orange peel. With water, pear drops, fresh baked bread, winter melons, cocoa nibs. 
Finish: Long. Winter melons, cloves, malted grains, vanilla, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Leathery and rancio, lots of old dusty notes. It’s estery and cereally, the fruit notes are starting to break down. Very complex and layered, a single session dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 21yo 1999/2020

Balvenie 21yo 1999/2020

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold 
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, soursop, rhubarb and custard sweets, black tea, roast chicken, hints of rambutans. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Black tea, raisins, rambutans, soursop, golden syrup, malted grains, hints of cocoa nibs. 
Finish: Long. Sea salt, cream, rambutans, malted grains, pears, cocoa nibs. 

Comments: 

Cask 3733. Hugely tropical, lots of unusual fruit, alongside a creamy maltiness that is absolutely delicious. The finish is long, salty and slightly bitter, and very complex. Very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie Tun 1858 Batch 5

Balvenie Tun 1858 Batch 5

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber
51.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramel, raisins, fresh cut grass, orange peel, vanilla, honey, blackcurrant cordial. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, thickens slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, vanilla, raisins, honey, orange peel, stale beer, candied ginseng, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Long. Candied ginseng, orange peel, black pepper, honey, caramel. 

Comments: 

A Taiwan exclusive. It’s malty and rather heavy, unlike the lighter, floral Balvenies I’ve had in this tasting session. There’s some feinty malty flavours here, and it fades to a long sweet spicy finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 8

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 8

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale amber
50.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, sea salt, lemon zest, orange peel, black pepper, candied ginseng, hints of seaweed. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, warm, expands slightly, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Toffee, salt caramel, orange peel, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, hints of seaweed. 
Finish: Long. Cinnamon, strawberry jam, cloves, black pepper, toffee. 

Comments: 

Another aspect of Balvenie, this time caramelly and sweet. Lots of spices too, this time heading towards pepper and nutmeg. There’s a savoury edge as well, but the Balvenie orange is present, just presented alongside other flavours.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 1

Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
47.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, leather, lemon zest, orange blossom, honeydew melons, pineapples, sea salt, acacia honey, nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Leather, lemon zest, sea salt, bananas, orange blossom, soursop, pineapples, white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, orange blossom, acacia honey, hints of white pepper. 

Comments: 

This is a legendary (at least for me) bottling, one that I’ve been trying to track down for a long time. It’s a little like the 1974 Signatory, less orange and more leather and honeydew. It’s hugely complex, lots of casks went into this, creating hints of spice and lots of other tropical fruit.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 25yo Rare Marriages

Balvenie 25yo Rare Marriages 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Manuka honey, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sandalwood, damson jam, hints of clay dust. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Barley sugar, raisins, damson jam, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh baked bread, sandalwood, leather, clay dust. 
Finish: Medium. Barley sugar, fresh baked bread, raisins, clay dust, manuka honey. 

Comments: 

Again that lovely spiced honey note, alongside lots of damson jam. There’s a bit more malty cereal in this one though - plenty of bready notes, with sweet barley sugar. Utterly lovely.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 25yo DoubleWood

Balvenie 25yo DoubleWood

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber, hints of green
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, strawberry jam, orange peel, manuka honey, cloves, cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, cool, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Damson jam, strawberry jam, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa powder, manuka honey, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Long. Black pepper, manuka honey, cocoa powder, strawberry jam. 

Comments: 

This whisky showcases another aspect of Balvenie, that of spiced honey. It’s very jammy and sweet, as one might expect of sherry cask stuff, but it’s also chock full of spices, and intensely fragrant honey.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 21yo Single Barrel

Balvenie 21yo Single Barrel

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Pale green 
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mint, white grapes, vanilla, soursop, passionfruit, lemon zest, hints of orange blossom. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, warm, slightly sticky. 
Tasting:  Sour. Mint, white grapes, pineapples, vanilla custard, soursop, lemon zest, hints of orange blossom. 
Finish: Medium. Soursop, pineapples, lemon zest, vanilla custard. 

Comments: 

Cask 3742. More tropical than the usual Balvenie, lots of passionfruit and even soursop. The main note though is a lovely vanilla custard. It’s fruit salad whisky! And very nice for all that.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 17yo Islay Cask

Balvenie 17yo Islay Cask 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden 
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, fresh cut grass, honeydew melons, white grapes, orange peel, liquorice, celery salt, hints of peat. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, honeydew melons, autumn leaves, liquorice, celery salt, chocolate, hints of peat. 
Finish: Short. Leather, peat, orange peel, autumn leaves. 

Comments: 

Having been Islay cask finished rather than aged, this isn’t like Peat Week Balvenie. The peat is just a whisper, instead it’s leathery and earthy, with a lot of celery and liquorice notes. Quite tasty.

Verdict:

I like this.

Balvenie 15yo 1974/1990

Balvenie 15yo 1974/1990

Vintage, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale green
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeycomb, honeydew melon, greengages, lemon zest, candle wax, verjus, orange blossom. With water, cream, marzipan, honeydew melons, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honeydew melons, white grapes, greengages, lemon zest, barley sugar, candle wax, hints of orange blossom. With water, vanilla, marzipan, orange blossom, candle wax. 
Finish: Medium. Barley sugar, candle wax, honeydew melons, verjus, orange blossom. 

Comments: 

Luscious and lovely, hugely floral, and quite unlike Balvenie as I know it. 1970s distillate is usually a treat, it’s puzzling and interesting. I would have said this whisky was more Clynelish-ey than anything else, although it is much more floral and lacks the intensity of Clynelish. Amazing stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 12yo Single Barrel First Fill (Cask #12790)

Balvenie 12yo Single Barrel First Fill (Cask #12790)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Green gold
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, white grapes, lemon zest, acacia honey, orange blossom, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, airy, loosens slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Barley sugar, lemon zest, acacia honey, vanilla, malted grains, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. White grapes, orange blossom, barley sugar, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Cask 12790. Floral and full of honeyed sweetness, I’d have pegged this as the quintessential Balvenie - except that it’s not quite, of course. This was the first dram of a Balvenie verticale, and a single cask to boot. But it was a classy classic.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 21yo The Second Red Rose

Balvenie 21yo The Second Red Rose 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Copper pink
48.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rose petals, caramel, orange peel, cinnamon, dark chocolate, hints of black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, expands, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Caramel, orange peel, strawberry laces, dark chocolate, cinnamon, cookie dough, rose petals. 
Finish: Long. White pepper, orange peel, rose petals, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

Wine finished Balvenie. Rosy by name, rosy by nature. The rose petals are quite evident throughout. Some Balvenie orange is there too, with some spice and vanilla throughout. Very nice whisky, and a real treat to sample.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie Week of Peat 17yo

Balvenie Week of Peat 17yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber gold

49.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bacon, smoke, leather, honey, charcoal ash, orange peel, hints of oolong tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Bacon, leather, smoke, peat, hay, oolong tea, caramel, orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Oolong tea, bacon, leather, smoke, peat, autumn leaves. 

Comments: 

Peated Balvenie is an interesting treat. This one is like eating a bacon sandwich, a delicate one infused with orange peel. Savoury and sweet, with a long earthy, tannic finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 17yo Doublewood

Balvenie 17yo Doublewood

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale amber
43% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Ginger, red grapes, cloves, marmalade, Horlicks, hints of chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, turns syrupy, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Orange peel, marmalade, cloves, chocolate, Horlicks, honey, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, raisins, vanilla sponge, orange peel. 

Comments: 

I've had the younger version, many years ago. This is sort of 'classic' Balvenie, lots of orange in it, but also some interested malted notes. Is 17 much better than 12? Well, the additional 5 years of aging does add some complexity.

Verdict:

I like this.

Burnside 28yo 1991/2019

Burnside 28yo 1991/2019

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Teaspooned malt - Speyside
Dark gold
46.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rambutans, green tea, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loosens, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Green tea, raisins, fresh baked bread, black tea, brown butter, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, bitter orange, pear drops, orange peel, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Cask 7378. This is teaspooned Balvenie of course, probably with Glenfiddich. It's really classic Speyside whisky, plenty of fruit (hello rambutans!), some cereal, some tannins, and plenty of Balvenie orange peel.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.