The Balvenie is one of the top 10 distilleries in Scotland by production capacity and, as such, has a wide array of offering lines including their core range, special releases, and single barrels. This Balvenie 15 year is aged entirely in an ex-Oloroso sherry butt. A butt is a type of cask standard for aging sherry, approximately 475-500 liters. Because of the larger size, as opposed to smaller casks like hogsheads, there is less surface area per amount of liquid and thus the cask impact is lessened. This may be why this particular offering spends its entire life in the same sherry butt, as opposed to other releases where the sherry cask is used only at the end. Unlike other age statement single malts, which contain a variety of ages with only the youngest listed, this Balvenie is 15 years only, no younger or no older.
Distillery: Balvenie
Region: Speyside
Age: 15 years
Strength: 47.8%
Price: $109.99
Maturation: ex-Oloroso sherry butt
Barrel: Cask No. 4194; bottle No. 413
Location: Dufftown
Nose: Butterscotch, peach, dried fig, cream, strawberry, Werther’s Original, cream soda
Palate: Pine resin, allspice, clove, bread
Finish: Vanilla, cinnamon
Comments: Water does not do much beyond muddle the flavors a little. Add at your own risk.
Adam – Balance. Balance is one of the reasons I love Balvenie in general. The core element of their line is elastic without being dominant, so that they’re able to do all sorts of things to it that both accentuate the special quality while also complimenting the core whisky. You would think the Balvenie 15, being a single barrel, might be susceptible to more variance but this is surprisingly not the case here. My only tiny quibble is that I wish the finish lasted a little longer than it does. The base scotch is present and not dominated, wearing the sherry influence like a splendorous cloak. The sherry brings to the fore the spice and creamy notes already inherent in Balvenie. It is a rich and luxurious whisky, perfect for colder climes but I imagine also lovely on a summer day. It’s a dram with a story to tell, and unfurls before you like some story of old, both new and familiar. A new caress you’ve felt before. Balance has always been the key with Balvenie, and this one shines.
Jenny – On the nose I got dried fruit and just general subtle sweetness. On the palate, there is some spice and general warmth. There was a lot of fig too.
Meghan – I get a warm butterscotch on the nose as well as the smell of sherry. Generally, I can find fruits in a sherry-cask nose but for this one, only the sherry itself comes through. I get allspice and clove on the palate, a bit like a Christmas cake or fruited bread. I also get a touch of pine resin. In a way, it reminds me of the Glenmorangie Companta with the Advent seasonality. There is a bit more bite on the palate and finish than I would expect from a 15 year old whisky. However, Balvenie’s 14 year old Caribbean Cask was the whisky that taught me older doesn’t necessarily mean better. There is also spice on the finish. Cinnamon this time, which contributes to the hot feeling. This one leaves me with a kind of odd aftertaste of stale or soured wine. I don’t know that I would categorize it as part of the finish, more like residual palate. It just wasn’t quite there for me. The sherry effect is not strong enough to thrill me (or repel me) but not subtle enough to let other flavors shine through. It is like trying on a piece of clothing that is technically the correct size but just isn’t cut right to fit your body. Yes, you could wear it, but the neckline isn’t all that flattering and the sleeves sit funny. You’ll look presentable but slightly uncomfortable. This Balvenie is the dress you bought the day of your cousin’s wedding (because you forgot to pack what you meant to wear) and although it looks great on the hangar, you know you’ll never wear it again.
It’s the band-aid or the spackle that fixes everything that might be broken.
Michael – I was getting the elements of strawberry shortcake on the nose. Mostly whipped cream and breadiness. On the palate, there was the same kind of winter spices you might get in pies. Some of that sweetness and creaminess with, not necessarily the essence of nutmeg, but general winter spices.
Peter – On the nose, cream soda, so clear to me, along with Werther’s candy. There’s a sweetness on the tongue, followed by a little sour, then a smooth vanilla taste that is homey. Very delicious. I really liked it.
Caitlin – This is tweed and a fire. The Balvenie 15 is so comfortable. It is like putting on an old leather jacket that is soft. The drinking of it is like putting on an old coat that fits you perfectly. All is right with the world. I have that feeling with this scotch. It’s the band-aid or the spackle that fixes everything that might be broken.
Ben – The most amazing thing about this for me, and what I notice that I like, is that it doesn’t have a lot of fire or rough edges but I still love it. I definitely think that there’s a Werther’s candy element that others have spoken about. It is reminiscent of an old man but in a good way. It seems like it shouldn’t be as easy to drink as it is, but it is. I think it’s a nice landing place for all of us, especially after a rough day. This is a fixer.
Henry – The nose to me is fresh apple, plucked-off-the-tree-in-the-sun ripe. So many summer fruits, crowned with ripe apples. It’s like a boa constrictor that swallowed a porcupine, but it has no tail. The nose was so concentrated and interesting, and the palate was so concentrated with the oak, but then the finish just sort of peters out, unfocused. This whole thing rides on a magic carpet of sherry. There’s never a point in the entire experience where the sherry is predominating or fading into the background. It is exceptionally well integrated. The different faces of the sherry finish.
