Balvenie Classic 18 Year Old Bottled 1980's

Balvenie 25 Year Old / Single Barrel Traditional Oak

Balvenie has some 40 different single casks of their 25 years old on the market. I was fortunate to try single barrel #3160 that was bottled at 47.8%. It says Traditional Oak, which is Balvenie-speak for ex-bourbon cask, in this case refill. The whisky was distilled on 8th April 1992 (I was in my final school year, imagine that) and bottled on...

Score 86/100

Balvenie 15 Year Old

This is another Balvenie mini, this time the 15 Year Old Single Barrel. Unfortunately, the tube offers no cask info whatsoever. It is non-chill-filtered and (presumably) cask strength at 50.4%. The colour is a medium yellow. Extremely malty on the nose, with much less of the usual honey/caramel notes (loads of vanilla though). Lemon pith, green...

Score 84/100

Balvenie 15 Year Old

Color: Straw colored, pale gold. Nose: Granny smith apples and moss, with a strong burning sensation. After a few minutes, the burning sensation lifts and floral notes move to the fore, along with vanilla and honey. Body: medium, oily. Palate: Smooth. Sweet Taffy with hint of smoke and pepper. Finish: Quick, strong burst of pepper. Slight hint of...

Score 82/100

Balvenie 21 Year Old Port Wood Finish

Typical aroma expected with a wine-finished whisky. Signs of old oak aging with a fruitiness similar to that of old bourbon casks. Nicely subtle entry of the malt with the fading of the fruitiness.

Score 90/100