Balmenach 14 Year Old 2001 for Save Lars Whisky

After the peated Bruichladdich and the bourbon-matured Auchentoshan, we wanted something special for the third and final bottling of the Save Lars Whisky. After more than a year of looking for the right cask, we finally found it in this outstanding Balmenach, a fruity Speyside whisky which matured for 14 years on a refill sherry cask.

Fairly sweet nose on banana and pineapple, but it is dominated by sweet malt. Some silver polish that I quite like, as if it was poured by R2-D2 on Jabba’s Sail Barge. Some pine and grain biscuits. The fruit evolves towards the candied variety. Some vanilla and gooseberries. Nice nose.

The arrival is powerful and peppery. Immediately sweet on white fruit, pineapple and some banana (although less than on the nose), but now some citrus fruit kicks in. Think grapefruit and lime. Light and fresh with a good body. This is quite enjoyable.

The finish may be short, but it is spicy with some pepper at the death.

Lovely and accessible whisky that would do well in Chalmun’s Cantina in Mos Eisley and hence a wonderful conclusion of our bespoke whisky trilogy in commemoration of the Save Lars project.

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