Balvenie 14 Year Old Rum Wood Finish

Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood

Nose #1: Strangely, right after first pour, a whiff of stale next-day beer: That can't be right! Let's let it breath-- Good, it subsides. Nose #2: Then anise comes in, as a tingly oak spice. (I think this is what some call pine.) Straw and heather develop, and the anise is joined by nutmeg. I was anticipating allspice or honey, but it is...

Score 68/100

Balvenie 21 Year Old Port Wood Finish

The name leaves nothing to the imagination: this grown-up Balvenie is finished in port casks, in this case 30 year old port pipes. On the nose, I am overwhelmed with sweetness: caramel, toffee, oranges, vanilla and honey, but the port wine gives it a nice round twist. It is waxy on beeswax. It even has a nice bitter lining, like walnuts, from the...

Score 85/100

Balvenie 1993 Port Wood Finish

The final dram in our Balvenie tasting is a bit of a treat. This was third in a series of special release port finishes in 1989, 1991 and 1993 that were precursors to the Portwood that is now part of the core range. This is a 12 year old whisky finished in port pipes. It is worthwhile contrasting this to the Signature and the Doublewood; all 12...

Score 91/100

Balvenie 17 Year Old Madeira Cask

Nose: It's as if we've gotten up in the morning, straight out of bed, and sat down at the breakfast table. Perhaps even outside, it's a summery breakfast in Madeira. There are some dates and gooseberries just to freshen up the senses, there's even a faint waft of coffee beans to open up the eyes a wee bit. We then move into something more...

Score 92/100