Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask

Hmmm! I don't really get this whisky. I really liked the Signature and still like the 15 SB, even with its batch variation. I guess it's just I don't like rum, especially when it's kinda tacked on to such a good base malt. I also prefer the base Glenmorangie over the finished ones. I do like really sherried whiskies, like GlenDronach 15, Glenfarclas 105, etc., but not ones where it's a light finish and not actually aged in sherry or rum casks. The one rum finish I've liked was a Glenfiddich 21(?) I got as a gift a few years ago. There the rum aging worked, but i believe it was for 3 years. The 57 seems rather low though, and I'd probably give it a 79, something I'd drink if offered a glass, but not one I'd buy again.

Sounds like you've got a bad bottle there. Probably it's been open too long from the way you describe it. Did you drink it in a bar, by chance? I always ask to see the bottle before it is poured. If the level is too low on a bottle that doesn't move very fast, then I will always decline the pour and opt for another whisky altogether or just a beer.

Must agree with rigmorole...

Overall I've found the 14 yr Caribbean Cask to be pretty consistent, and pretty good.

Wow. Just had this for the first time yesterday at a family reunion. Bottle purchased in Virginia about a month ago. Sweet, rich, fairly dense. Left a pleasurable warmth, not unlike a decent cognac. Would certainly be a dessert-style dram for me. Fits nicely in my favor preferences. Sounds like you got a bad bottle to me :-(

Sometime in the past 12 months Balvenie altered their cardboard cylinder, and bottle labels to a darker shade of brown that makes the whisky stand out more.

Picked up a bottle this morning to give it a try, and to see if it's any different from my previous bottles.

Nose seems the same as with my previous bottles - however both the palate, and finish seem suppressed...Not detecting the influence of the rum as I had in other bottles; seems more like a 'poor man's 15 yr Single Barrel' with a dash of toffee sweetness.

Maybe it needs more time to open up.