orangedog Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Seems we have a number of Balvenie fans here, which is nice! I'll add to the thread as I go... I have a number of other bottles to discuss. Balvenie 10 Founder’s Reserve (Cognac Bottle), 40% Nose: Salty oak, dandelions, Palate: Green peppers, butter, heather, honey Finish: Honey, heather, decent burn for only 40% Balvenie 17 Sherry Oak, 43% Nose: Sweet raisins, like raisin syrup, mild oak Palate: This one delivers… sherry! Vanilla, spicier than the 17 Madeira Cask Finish: Sweet, fruity, a late bit of burn Balvenie 14 RumWood, 47.1% Nose: Vanilla, simple syrup, rum is most noticeable on the nose Palate: Almond, vanilla, honey, sugary and almost floral Finish: At cask strength, sugars give way to a long, stringent burn Balvenie 1992 Cask Selection (Out of Cask 2006), 47.8% Nose: Caramel! Palate: Very little bit of oak, jammy, honey with caramel, malty and almost viscous Finish: Just sweetness! A very mild burn very late, even at cask strength Balvenie 12 Signature (Batch 002), 43% Nose: Citrus…orange peel, salty oak, honey sweetness Palate: Citrus, vanilla, oak, straightforward Finish: Decent burn, oak, slight sweetness Balvenie 12 Signature (Batch 002), 43% (Review from the past) Nose: honey, almond, citrus, and cream, small amounts of caramel and oak in the background Palate: note nearly as dominating as the nose, spice, sherry, citrus, cream Finish: spice, sherry, cloying Balvenie 17 Madeira Cask, 43% Nose: Honey, apricot, and a madeira aroma Palate: Honey and oak, dark wine, cherry and raspberry, apricot Finish: dominating oak Balvenie 17 Islay Cask, 43% Nose: Smoke, brine, peat, undertones of navel oranges, mild chocolate, slight sherry Palate: smoke is more prominent than peat, sweetness still remains, and is focused into floral, honey, and vanilla notes Finish: smoke transitions to honey Balvenie 12 DoubleWood, 40% Nose: Sherry, chocolate, and orange bringing to mind the choclate-orange sticks found on grocery shelves around Christmastime, honey, and a bit of caramel Palate: Smooth! Sherry, orange peel and vanilla, faint caramel and vanilla Finish: sherry, cloying, slight burn and oak Balvenie 14 Carribbean Cask, 43% Nose: Vanilla, unripened orange, bit of black licorice Palate: Caramel, vanilla, orange, spiced rum kicks in about halfway through Finish: Long lasting. Light sherry, a little warm and a little drying, mild oak, rum continues Balvenie 14 Roasted Malt, 47.1% Nose: bit of caramel and honey sweetness, oaky Palate: starts with slightly honey and sugar sweetness, then turns sulfur-ish, woody, oaky, salty, almost overbearing Finish: oak, long burn Balvenie 30, 47.3% Nose: Caramel, vanilla, slight oak, fantastic balance Palate: Strong but smooth, caramel and sugary, viscous, such light oak for the age, bit of floral Finish: Not much burn for the strength, sweetness, with oak picking up when the burn does kick in later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimb2u Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Nice list of reviews with a few of the odd the beaten track offerings in the mix! I am a big fan of the Balvenie and have been fortunate enough to go through a bottle of each of those with the exception of the 1992 and the roasted malt...thanks for the informative post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanislaw Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 wow, didn't realize there is so much Balvenie out there that I haven't yet tasted.... my liver is in BIG trouble.... thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munts Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Nice list..... a bit disappointed there is no review of the Balvenie 50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangedog Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 Balvenie 12 Single Barrel, 47.8% Nose: Honey, light bananas foster, cream Palate: More of the nose! Add a bit of heat, slight bit of salt Finish: Warm, worth adding a splash of water to soften One of the better Balvenie drams I've had! surprisingly good for a 12 year old... I'd take it over the Founder's Reserve 10, DoubleWood 12 and Signature 12. I bought this for a "scotch, cigars, and poker" party I threw (Orion was there) and this was a winner for everyone who tried it. I will likely buy another bottle as an everyday drinker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotusguy Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Balvenie 12 Single Barrel, 47.8% Nose: Honey, light bananas foster, cream Palate: More of the nose! Add a bit of heat, slight bit of salt Finish: Warm, worth adding a splash of water to soften One of the better Balvenie drams I've had! surprisingly good for a 12 year old... I'd take it over the Founder's Reserve 10, DoubleWood 12 and Signature 12. I bought this for a "scotch, cigars, and poker" party I threw (Orion was there) and this was a winner for everyone who tried it. I will likely buy another bottle as an everyday drinker. How does it compare to the previous, cheaper, and older, Balvenie Single Barrel 15? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangedog Posted June 4, 2013 Author Share Posted June 4, 2013 As far as I can tell, the 15 single barrel is the same price as the 12. Both are in the $65-$70 range. I'm going to have to revisit a handful of the 15 SBs because off the top of my head, at the moment I'd go with the 12 SB. A couple of the 15 SBs I've held on to have been a bit older too... 17 years, 18 years, I think I have one at 21 years, etc. Still, I'm impressed by this 12 SB. Maybe I ended up with a lucky cask. Sadly I'm down to about 1-2oz in this bottle. Just ordered a replacement so we'll see how that stacks up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habana Mike Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I've sampled many of the Balvenie expressions over time. Was a big 12yo Doublewood fan forever, since moved on to the 14yo Carribean Cask as a staple. Am enjoying a 17yo Doublewood just now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sengjc Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Thanks for the info. I haven't had many Balvenies but would like to give them a shot. I remember the 12 YO Doublewood was very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayedfy Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Nice collection of notes! I noticed no TUN 1401 though. Do yourself a favour and hunt it down - I had a sample of Batch #5 and it was far and away the best Balvenie I've tasted (although I've only had the 12 DW, 15 SB, 21 PW, and a 19yo single cask from the distillery), and in the top 10 whiskies I've ever experienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM-US Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Thank you for the tasting notes- there are a lot of Balvenie varieties and this helps immensely with navigating the various ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kruz Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Has anyone tried the Portwood 21 year old? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimb2u Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I have tried both the Tun 1401 batch 3 and the later batch 6 and I preferred batch 3. It had a more complex flavor profile over #6 which was sweeter ( I wish I had more of both !) Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kruz Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I have tried both the Tun 1401 batch 3 and the later batch 6 and I preferred batch 3. It had a more complex flavor profile over #6 which was sweeter ( I wish I had more of both !) Cheers Jim What is the story behind the TUN? I have never seen or heard about these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimb2u Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Here's a great video. A buddy of mine (Nicholas Pollachi) is one of the folks in the video ( he is the former Balvenie US brand ambassador). Always worth it if you can find a glass...or a bottle would be better :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayedfy Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Has anyone tried the Portwood 21 year old? Yeah, but the version we have here in Australia is 40%(!!!), and is really nothing special. If you Canadians get 43% like the Yanks it might be worthwhile. There's also a travel retail version of the 21PW that is something around 47-48% IIRC. That'd be the one to hunt down if you're considering it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimb2u Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 I had an impromptu Balvenie tasting at my NYC cigar club with 4 friends. We compared Tun 1401 batch 3...6...and 7...Batch 3 was our favorite...though I wish I had easier access to more of any of them. Batch three had a much more complex flavor than 6 or 7. Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepp69 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Have yet to meet a Belvanie i didnt like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepp69 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 I had an impromptu Balvenie tasting at my NYC cigar club with 4 friends. We compared Tun 1401 batch 3...6...and 7...Batch 3 was our favorite...though I wish I had easier access to more of any of them. Batch three had a much more complex flavor than 6 or 7. Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fokker4me Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Thanks for the tasting notes. I find that I like the 14 Carribean cask. Is it any different then the 14 rum wood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbandz Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Has anyone tried the Portwood 21 year old? This is a single malt you dream about,find yourself daydreaming about,and hide when your friends come over. In 30 years of trying single malts,it is solidly in my top 5,at position 3....Expensive until you try it,then you look around and wonder what you can sell off to get more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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