Review by: The Muskox
It’s a horribly dark, cold freezing-rain kind of day here in Toronto, so let’s talk about a warm, tropical whisky. I got together with a friend last night for a small tasting from each of our collections. We decided to crack open this bottle together, as neither of us had tried it.
Distillery: Balvenie.
Bottler: Official bottling.
Region: Speyside.
ABV: 43%.
Age: 14 years.
Cask type: Finished in rum casks.
Price: $140 CAD.
Color: e150. Chill-filtered.
Nose: Quite sweet, as I expected. The first thing I got was turbinado (“raw”) sugar. I had a ridiculous sweet tooth as a kid, to the point where I’d take packs of turbinado sugar from the local coffee shop and down them in one shot. This nose sort of brings me back to that sugary, hyperactive time. Anyways. Lots of vanilla, some milk chocolate, and a little bit of orange. Creamy and bready, like pastries or cakes. I kept thinking ‘carrot cake’ nosing this, but I think that’s more about the spices than the carrots. Clove, cinnamon, and lots of nutmeg. There’s just a touch of something floral in here, but this is certainly a molasses-ey nose, rather than a honeyed one.
Palate: Decent mouthfeel. Sweet molasses and vanilla, which builds into a mild oaky spiciness. More nutmeg and cinnamon. Rich caramel. Reminds me of tea with lots of milk and sugar in it. There’s a little bit of oak tannins, but the sweetness dominates. The spice smooths out quite quickly. A hint of lemon on the swallow. Sort of reminds me of Beaver Tails with lemon and cinnamon.
Finish: Short and sweet. Caramel and banana.
Conclusion: Man, this was sweet. I felt like I was actually getting a bit of a sugar rush from ½ an ounce of this stuff. There really isn’t enough to balance all that sweetness out. I would have enjoyed this a lot more when I was 9 and eating straight sugar. That said, it’s not super complex, but it’s pretty dang tasty. The richness and mouthfeel were there, and the nose was quite nice. Overall, I could see myself enjoying a dram of this from time to time (maybe on a tropical beach?), but especially at Ontario prices I probably wouldn’t buy a bottle.
Final Score: 76.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 