Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Balvenie (teaspooned blended malt.)
Bottler: Thompson Bros.
Region: Speyside, Scotland.
ABV: 47.9%. Cask strength.
Age: 25 years. Distilled in 1993. Bottled in 2019.
Cask type: Refill bourbon hogshead.
Price: £38 GBP for 200mL.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 4 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder (consistent through the bottle.)
Nose: malty cereals, magnolia blossoms, honey, cocoa powder, orange zest.
Palate: medium body ~ loads of honey, mint, camphor, white pepper, mirabelle plums, water brings out tons of floral notes, honeysuckle, liquorice tea.
Finish: long ~ on camphor, wax, and more honeysuckle.
Conclusion: Yum. Another cask remnant Thompson Bros. bottled in 200mLs a few years ago, this teaspooned Balvenie is just gorgeous and enticing. The honey and honeysuckle drive the bus here, while the herbal side of it keeps anything from leaning too sweet, and everything else provides just enough nuance to keep me coming back for yet another sip each time. I’d rate this just a tick better than the Sponge 31yr Sideburn bottling I reviewed recently; while the Thompson Bros. didn’t develop quite as much as I worked my way through it, it did seem to be in better balance and suited to my palate right from the start.
Final Score: 88.
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 