Balmenach 1979 17 Year Old Scott's Selection

Balmenach 8 Year Old 2006 Connoisseurs Choice

Balmenach is one of those distilleries that does not appear on my radar very often. This is only my 11th encounter with this noble unknown from the Speyside. It’s one of these young malts that appeared in the Connoisseurs Choice series, a few years ago by now. In 2014 and 2017 I tasted a similar vatting from Gordon & Macphail, but was not very...

Score 79/100

Balmenach 10 Year Old Douglas Laing

Founded in 1824 this Speyside distillery became one of the first legally run distilleries in Scotland. The original name was Balminoch originates from the Gaelic 'Am Baile Meadhnach' meaning 'the middle farm'. In 1987 the distillery was renamed Balmenach Glenlivet Distillery Company. In 1992, the first and only official in house bottling was...

Score 88/100

Balmenach 18 Year Old Deerstalker

Balmenach does not have any official bottlings (bar the Flora & Fauna) and is only bottled by Deerstalker. There is a 10 and 12 year old, but we are lucky enough to try the 18 year old. It matured on a sherry cask. Balmenach closed in 1993, but in 1997 Inver House Distillers reopened it. They also produce gin since 2009. The nose is a weird...

Score 80/100

Balmenach 10, Duncan Taylor's NC2 Range

Nose: Initially had the character of a chlorine cleaning agent, which I've never experienced in a whisky. Strange. After brief sitting this changes to pear, with perhaps soft strawberry. Taste: Oily in character, and spicy hot, with the sharp burn of red peppers. Finish: Continuing spiciness with some harsh oaky tannins. If I had to try this one...

Score 55/100