THE BALVENIE
Village of luck
THE BALVENIE 12-YEAR-OLD SINGLE BARREL - FIRST FILL
70cl, 47.8%
Released in 2013, Balvenie's Single Barrel First Fill was matured in first-fill bourbon casks for at least 12 years before bottling. These are limited edition bottlings, with each bottle being one of no more than 300 drawn from a single cask. Each is also hand-numbered and labelled with the cask reference number. A deliciously creamy, vanilla-rich whisky from Balvenie.
THE BALVENIE 12-YEAR-OLD THE SWEET TOAST OFÂ AMERICAN OAK
70cl, 43%
A creamy, sweet single malt, The Sweet Toast of American Oak is the first whisky in the Balvenie Stories collection. Finished in heavily-toasted virgin American oak casks from Kentucky, it is even fruitier than normal. Sweet, malty aromas of fudge, citrus and oaky vanilla mingle with spicy ginger and warm cinnamon on the nose. The palate initially offers notes of candied orange peel, vanilla toffee and butterscotch, developing slowly into flavours of melted brown sugar, blossom honey and rich oak spice.
The Balvenie Stories collection is designed to bring to life the tales of 'character, endeavour and craft' of those at Balvenie through the generations.
THE BALVENIE 14-YEAR-OLD CARIBBEAN CASK
70cl, 43%
A terrific single malt from The Balvenie. This Speysider was initially aged in traditional oak casks before it was finished in casks which previously held Caribbean rum, imparting some extra sweetness and warmth to the whisky. In fact, to create it, Balvenie malt master David C. Stewart made his very own blend of West Indian rums, filled it into casks, and then eventually replaced the rum in said casks with Balvenie's whisky! The fabulous result is a well-rounded whisky with notes of toffee, fruit and vanilla.
THE BALVENIE 16-YEAR-OLD TRIPLE CASK
70cl, 40%
16 year old Balvenie single malt Scotch whisky from their Triple Cask range, which was launched for travel retail. The Triple Cask range is matured in first-fill American oak barrels, traditional refill casks and first-fill Oloroso Sherry butts. The 16 year old shows off a lot more vanilla and fruit than the 12 year old Triple Cask - the extra years in the casks also bring out plenty more fragrant, oak-y spices.
THE BALVENIE 19-YEAR-OLD THE EDGE OF BURNHEAD WOOD
70cl, 48.7%
The Edge of Burnhead Wood is the fourth release in Balvenie's Stories range, and again we find the distillery in Speyside in an experimental mood. This is a 19 year old single malt which has been made entirely with ingredients grown on Balvenie's Dufftown estate, including home-grown barley, water from the Robbie Dhu spring, and even fresh heather from the eponymous Burnhead Wood. The heather was dried, dampened and then put into the kiln during the malting. The result is a fascinating single malt, packed with honey, dried blossoms and fragrant oak.
THE BALVENIE 25-YEAR-OLD RARE MARRIAGES
70cl, 48%
A 25-year-old single malt from Balvenie's Rare Marriages series, matured exclusively in European and American oak casks and married in a tun to create a fruity, elegant whisky. Aromas of autumn fruits, runny honey, crystalised ginger and oaky spice fill the nose, complemented by notes of toasted marshmallows, apple tart, cinnamon and fruit salad throughout the palate.
