Style: Stewed fruits, Waxy and Dignified
Nose:
White flower flies high while an elegant and waxy touch applied on cereal notes. Pear drops and barley singing softly and expanding throughout the whole aroma. Spice lunges from the back, nutmeg with slight earthiness.
Palate:
Another big waxy brush on stewed fruits cooking up nicely on the palate. The age is apparent here – walnut, polished oak, cabinet with perfume sweetness latching onto the cereal core. Pear drops, barley, oatmeal all nicely integrated and weaved together.
Finish:
Honey malt slightly diluted with water, red liquorice with a few vanilla blots.
Thoughts:
Definitely a well matured malt with waxy oak signature written all over the spirit in a pleasant way. Maybe the “dignified” side is can be too prominent that it is more beneficial to use as a vat component in the famous Tun series. Although it is a European oak sherry cask from 1982, the red fruits influence is minimal, maybe it is a third fill or fourth fill cask? Anyway, I feel blessed as how often you can try a 35 years old single cask Balvenie these days? Big thanks Ross for bringing this all the way to Sydney.
☆ [Recommended]
[44-45%? • Distillery Cask Sample • Single Cask • Aged 35 Years / 1982 Distilled • 2017 Bottled]
-Esmond
WhiskNick 