Review by: The Muskox

I was lucky enough to take another visit yesterday to this magical whisky wonderland. 70’s Balmenach is cool, and Cooper’s Choice bottlings from this era are supposedly very good. For a taste of this rare bottling, distilled nearly 45 years ago, that nobody else in the country has, I was charged an entire $17 Canadian dollars for a glass.

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Distillery: Balmenach.

Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd..

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 43%, cask strength.

Age: 17 years old. Distilled in 1978. Bottled in 1996.

Color: Colour added, chill-filtered.

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Nose: Mild and malt-forward. A bit of a doughy note. Soft fruit – tangerine and peach, perhaps baked into some kind of pastry. Brown sugar and ginger ale. Slightly grassy and a hint of salt. A hint of an acidic note too.

Palate: Fairly thick texture. Arrives malty with rounded fruit (banana and apples) and light nutmeg. A bit of a paraffin note comes in here, followed by moderate oak, some soft earthy peat, hints of brine and other aged notes.

Finish: Medium-light. More paraffin. Melted butter, shortbread, more peaches and grass. Hints of licorice and dunnage earthiness.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Hole-in-the-ground picnic”

Notes: It’s great! Wow, what a thick texture at 43%. Amazing balance and great “70s” flavour, complete with wax and hints of peat. I didn’t take down loads of different flavours here, but there was some deep complexity buried in here that I was having trouble expressing. Just trust me when I say, this was delicious.

Final Score: 85.

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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.