The Balvenie Whisky Tasting

The Balvenie Whisky Tasting – A Gentleman’s Evening

A real gentleman starts his evening with a good Single Malt Whisky. Or, as Humphrey Bogart ones said:

The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind

Lately, I had the pleasure to taste a few beautiful Whiskies from the Balvenie distillery. It was much of an evening full of joy and wonderful flavours. My private collection of empty Balvenie’s bottles is growing, a good or a bad sign in many ways. At the end of the day, I’m living life and I truly enjoy a good Whisky.

The evening was hosted by Markus Heinze, a real expert in the Whisky world. A lot to learn on a cosy evening with good food and phenomenal drinks. So let me tell you about my favorites…

Pictures and rights by Christian Schmid – Fotowerk132

The Balvenie Tun 1509

To create the first batch of Tun 1509, the brand carefully hand selected 42 of the finest casks – 35 traditional American oak barrels and seven European oak sherry butts – from the distillery’s precious aged stocks. All were transferred to Tun 1509, which sits in Warehouse 24, for several months before bottling. This is a rare interpretation of the marrying process and allows all 42 casks to come together to create a unique expression of The Balvenie that’s greater than the sum of its constituent parts.

TASTING NOTES

Deep and rich on the nose, with floral notes, sweet vanilla and orange peel. Velvety smooth to taste with tangy citrus, mellow cinnamon spice and blossom honey.

The Balvenie PortWood – Aged 21 Years

To create The Balvenie PortWood Aged 21 Years, a marriage of rare Balvenie is transferred to port casks, or pipes, which have held fine port wines. Here it is sampled regularly by The Balvenie Malt Master to ensure that just the right amount of character is imparted by the port casks, enhancing and developing the single malt whilst preserving its original characteristics.

NOSE

A perfume of fruity and ripe raisin notes, backed by a nutty dryness

TASTE

Refined with remarkable character, it is creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes.

FINISH

Long, gentle, nutty.

The Balvenie Thirty – Aged 30 years

The Balvenie Thirty is a rare and especially fine single malt for which David Stewart selects only exceptional casks that were laid down over thirty years ago. By marrying The Balvenie slowly aged in traditional oak whisky casks with that aged in European oak sherry casks,  we’re facing a rich, mellow Scotch whisky with unusual depth and complexity.

NOSE

Silky smooth and honeyed on the nose with mellow oaky tones and hints of candied orange peel.

TASTE

Great depth with rich dark chocolate, hints of plum, marzipan and caramelised pear.

FINISH

Exceptionally smooth and warming with gentle spice and lingering sweetness.

The Balvenie Forty – Aged 40 years

Definitely the most expensive Whisky I’ve tasted so far. To create The Balvenie Forty, Malt Master David Stewart has skilfully married together small amounts of The Balvenie matured in 4 refill hogsheads and 3 sherry butts that have lain in our warehouses for at least forty years.

NOSE

Rich oak notes overlaid with baked apple, stewed fruits and soft leather. The addition of a little water releases sweet fruit notes and hints of vanilla.

TASTE

Silky texture delivers a beautifully mouth-coating sweetness and a spicy sensation of cloves, cinnamon and ginger. The flavour develops into a gentle oakiness with hints of dark chocolate, roasted almonds and sherried fruitiness.

FINISH

Rich, warming and slightly dry.

It was a great evening with the finest Whiskys. I’m looking very much forward to my next adventure!