Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask

The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask is bottled at 43%. A fairly unique whisky, it has spent atleast some time maturing in ex rum casks. How long is anyone’s guess, it isn’t mentioned on the bottle. This used to be a bit of a bargain in the UK, now not so much.

Nose Sweet and rich dark plum notes surround gentle caresses of vanilla and cinnamon. Raw sugar cane adds sweetness to the whole ordeal. Wonderful nose.

Palate The overall mouthfeel is genuinely underwhelming but the vast array of flavours within this whisky more than makes up for that. Mango, sugar cane and oak. In fact the oak is dominant, leaving warm wood spice which is only accented by the obvious rum influence. I find myself searching for a flavour I can’t quite place until my wife tries it and comes up with coconut. Clever girl.

Finish Dissapointing but far from unpleasant. Rum comes to the forefront with plum and vanilla. It continues to linger on the tongue for a short while but overall its just too short. Short and sweet.

In conclusion, though the palate and nose are prettt wonderful, the finish really lets this whisky down, its just too watery. I believe this whisky would have really benefitted from a small increase in abv. Other than that I would love to have better access to more unique whisky like this but prices for anything a little special seem to climb higher and higher.

Cheers

The bottle has been open for about 2 months.

The nose has a scent of rum, unmistakenly and not very surprising. Malt sweetness and I also get a whiff of Oloroso (which is strange as I believe this is only bourbon cask and rum cask, but it's there anyway). Papaya... some Tropicana and wet dark ebony wood. Some roasted/toasted elements in there, can't really pinpoint it. Bit of dark marmalade seems to be a common thread in the Balvenie for me.

The palate is sweet and round. A bit syrupy without being oily, if that makes sense. Definitely dark brown marmalade on toast (makes me recall the background elements of the 17yrs). Not dry (yesterday I had an Oogie which literally dried the tongue, but this has none of that). A whiff of pencil shavings, and some more papaya and tropical fruit. Again, that Oloroso in there, and I also seem to detect some PX - probably my mind playing tricks on me and I'm literally just typing this 'real-time' as I get along with the dram...

The finish lingers on for a while, medium, and the roasted elements come to the forefront. Like the scrapings of a burnt toast of brown bread left for too long.

It's well integrated and a bit different - different is good. Yet, for some reason, it's a bit non-descript. It's not one I come back to often, but when I do it's a nice revisit. I've given it an 86, for I think it is worth it - despite the fact that for some reason, I have other expressions in the cabinet that I also rate 86, but tend to come back to much more often. What can I say, life's unfair. I'm glad to have it, but am not sure I'd buy it again once the bottle is finished.

PS: if you're a fan of rum and whisky - then it's a no-brainer to try this sweet little half-cast.

This is an apparently relatively new addition to this distillery's standard range (I think since around 2010). It is a blend of 12 year old malts matured separately in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso casks, which are finished together for a further two years in ex-Carribean rum casks (the rum in the casks is itself a combination of select West Indian rums blended by Malt Master David Stewart).

The colour is a deep golden honey. The nose has loads of honey (a typical Balvenie note), with macadamia nuts, rich toffee, papaya, raspberry, mango and toasty malt. Buttery, with vanilla and a very light rum note in the background. A drop of water adds a touch of cinnamon and oak. Very smooth and inviting.

On the palate there are some baking spices with thick honey, toffee and vanilla. The fruity notes are similar to those found on the nose: tropical fruits and wild berries with the addition of baked pear. Caramelized oak. Water sweetens it with more honey, as well as a bit more spice. Again, very smooth and a bit too easy to drink.

The finish is mildly spicy, with butter cream, light honey and soft caramel. It's a very nice dram, not too sweet but also not to complex or challenging. It's an easy malt to enjoy, thanks partly to the creamy smoothness of the rum finish (which is well structured) but it doesn't take me to the next level like a great single malt should.

I've had Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask finish from a variety of sources, including a full bottle, which I did not previously review. The current review is being made primarily from a sample provided thanks to @jonathan. This is a whisky finished in Rum casks

Nose: typical clean Balvenie base malt with a sweet overlay, and more than the usual amount of wood influence for a Balvenie of its age. Easy, gentle, pleasant. Typical Balvenie citrus with a hint of grassiness. My first full bottle did not start out as an integrated product, but became very tasty after the bottle was open about a month. All other samples I have tasted were quite good from the start. Water added adds some nice sweet high-pitched notes. Very nice nose with water. Score: 21.5/25

Taste: good translation to the mouth, and even a little more enjoyable. Water added bundles the flavours. Score: 22/25

Finish: moderate length of finish, which stays very mellow. Water added muddles the flavours together. Score: 22/25

Balance: very nice overall balance. Rum sweetness goes well to balance Balvenie citrus. Score: 22/25

Total Sequential Score: 87.5 points

Strength: moderate strength of flavours. Score: 22/25

Quality: all of the flavours are of very good quality. Score: 22/25

Variety: adequate but modest variety of flavours. Score: 21/25

Harmony: yes, this works, mostly from the balance of sweetness from rum cask balanced against sour tartness of barley citrus. Score: 22/25

Total Non-Sequential Score: 87 points

Comment: Balvenie 14 YO Caribbean Cask is a light, but pleasant whisky, which is usually quite reliable, but may sometimes need a month or two for a new bottle to open up to its best potential

Sweet slow fruit and floral arrival develops a tropical fruit middle and long slow rich brown sugar loaded finish.

People talk about how volatile rum finishes can be. Personally I’m a huge fan, although I’ve only ever tried a handful of rum-finished whiskies. So far I’ve liked them all, to varying degrees. Tonight we’ve got Balvenie’s Caribbean Cask, a 14 year old that’s been finished in rum barrels (obviously). Sounds good to me.

Nose: Very fruity, with Speyside flavours dominating. Raisins, plum, banana, green apples, strawberry jam, cream, tiramisu, cinnamon and nutmeg. Time brings out more depth, with barley, honey and sugar cane creeping in.

Palate: This is more like it. Some very sophisticated baking spices lead us gently into a gentle sweetness. Cinnamon, nutmeg, malt, dates, white pepper, vanilla pudding, curdled milk, cereal, and some caramel.

Finish: Not very long, but dynamic. White chocolate, licorice, charcoal, pecan, caramel, vanilla, maraschino cherries, sugar cane, barley, hay, and a touch of salt.

Thoughts: Quite nice. The rum notes give it a complex, gentle sweetness. This also boasts some nice baking spices, the likes of which you might find in some of the better Glenlivets. Finally there’s a roasted maltiness in the finish which reminds me of Glen Elgin. However as a rum lover (and a rum-finished whisky lover) I wish the rum notes were more assertive. As one should expect from Balvenie, this is first and foremost a quality Speysider. It certainly has a sweet, cane sugar presence, but I suppose I was hoping the finished notes would be more forward. While you aren’t whisked away to a tropical Caribbean island, you’ve still got a solid Speysider with a lovely rummy, tropical twist. Good.

Thanks Patrick. Deep rum gold pour, nano tears. Nose is mild, small orange peel, pretty fumey alcohol. Taste is a bit thinned out, spicy alcohol. Paper finish. No thanks.

This expression has been matured in ex bourbon oak casks for 14 years, and then finished in a mixture of ex rum casks.

Nose: Sweet, honey, toffee, oak and vanilla. You can smell the rum influence through rich, smooth tropical fruits.

Palate: Smooth and creamy, juicy fruits, slightly spiced, molasses, drumsticks (the sweet on a stick)

Finish is a solid medium length. Sweet, juicy, mouth watering, slightly lightly spiced.

I really like this. It's very fruity, creamy, smooth and nicely balanced. The oak doesn't leave any bitterness and its a juicy mouth watering delight.

Nose: Sugar cane, guava, rum, caramel

Palate: Caramelized sugar, vanilla beans, pineapple, Manilla mango, and just a hint of blood orange. Very drinkable with no water. Smooth but not chewy mouth-feel.

Finish: Sugar cane subsides to a creamy vanilla. It trails off with only a medium length finish, but the end of each sip is quite satisfying, especially after a meal or with a cigar. (Generally, I like my cigar scotches to have a hint of coffee to them, but this one does not and it works great with a stogie.)

Gen'l Commentary: Some scotches that have been aged in rum casks end up being carnivalesque and maudlin to the point of being sickly sweet in a a overly sentimental way. Not so the Balvenie 14. It has a great coherence with an overall arc that gets the tastebuds going. Is it too busy? Well, I would say that it's more dependent on the right moment than the Balvenie 15, for instance, which is a great all-around scotch.

For instance, I would not tend to gravitate to the Balvenie 14 Caribbean on an empty stomach when I was hungry. It's just so sweet; but then again, I don't really prefer mixed drinks much at all. I went through a fine rum phase about seven years ago, but I haven't gone back to upscale aged rums since I embraced scotch fully. Like bourbon, I just don't see as much variability with rum. Scotch, on the other hand, is unquestionably multi-various and this one by Balvenie is an example of just how mu;ch properly prepared and supervised rum casks can help to work their magic on barley grain.

I would go so far as to say that this scotch would indeed please the likes of Jack Sparrow: "Drink up, me hearties! Yo ho, drink up, lads, there's treasure enough for all!"

Just don't wait too long to buy a bottle of this whisky (or to steal one like Jack the Pirate--not really, just kidding . . . or am I?)

The Caribbean Balvenies will be gone sooner than you might imagine. I've seen stocks in Portland, my home down, dwindle significantly since the beginning of summer. Word is getting out!

Plus, this is a marvelous summer porch or summer balcony scotch. I can only imagine how it must be selling in the Deep South, at least in the more affluent cities down there, such as Miami and Key West (yeah yeah, I know those are "real" Southern cities, okay, how about New Orleans, no? then how about Charleston or Nashville? Bingo! Actually, I happen to be partial to Ashville; it's quite a bit like Portland, culturally speaking . . . well, maybe cranked down a few notches on the "weird scale").

I would call The Caribbean offering by Balvenie more or less an "accent bottle." In my cabinet, I tend to keep four scotch bottles open: one sherry cask, one smoky-peaty, one savory, and an accent.

Balvenie 14 Carribean Cask fits the bill nicely for something delightfully atypical, especially to serve those who are new to the delights & wonders of fine scotch . . . and fine it is, most definitely, but not too fine (or dear) to waste by casting before "swine"--such as a glass of Tun 1401, ye gads!

Another review from my blog

Appearance: Medium amber with slow moving legs

Nose: Initially I’m getting a lot of fruit, plums, raisins, bananas, oranges, sultanas and sour apple. There is a decent amount of oak floating around. As well as an off putting varnish type aroma, which I always seem to notice in rum. With water some light floral notes appear. As it continues to open up the sweeter vanilla and caramel show up but I still found this to a more fruit heavy bouquet.

Palate: At first fruity just like the bouquet. The raisins and plums arrive fruits followed by bananas, cherries and a sweet vanilla custard. The rum influenced caramel, milk chocolate and muscovado sugar add to the sweetness as it starts developing. Mid palate the wood starts coming into play and dries out the palate a bit which I found nice after the initial sweetness. The rum really hits it stride as it enters into the finish, which is moderate to long in length. Along with the rum there’s also notes of vanilla, sweet brown sugar and touches of oak. And the mouthfeel is slightly dry but full bodied and creamy.

Overall: I’ve been on this bottle for a month now before I did this review and I’m still not sure what to make of it. The bouquet tells me that this is going to be a light, fruity dram with some hints of floral notes. Yet on the palate with get this creamy sugary sweet dram that seems to be going in a different direction than the bouquet. This is one were I much rather spending tasting than smelling. The bouquet really doesn’t have a lot to offer but it is very nice on the palate especially in the finish. Nothing too exciting yet still well made.

First vapor: Sugarcane, on rose petals or slice of red apple.

Nose: Quite light. Sugarcane and under-ripe nectarine, then some unsalted butter intensifying with time. Overall clean and fresh, not spicy.

Palate: Sweet and metallic on entry. Ever-so-light buttery toffee, and then the sugarcane sparkles: saccharine but without the sweetness, perhaps like starfruit... or maybe silvery stardust.

Finish: Sugarcane again, only mildly sweet, with ginger and lime zest. Short and simple, but pleasant and with no disturbances. A surprising effect is that after a minute, you feel you are exhaling cocoa powder through your nose.

I like to keep a light malt around for a varied whisky experience. (Examples could be: Auchentoshan 18 or Select, or Glenfiddich 14/19/21, or Glenmorangie 10.) It suits to initiate the palate before an evening tasting, maybe even cleanse the palate in between heavier drams, and it finds utility during warm summer days. So while this is not my ultimate variety of malt, I compliment it for being very good for its purpose: clean refreshment with mild sweetness, and completely in balance.

The unique feature here is the rum finish, of course. I am surprised that there is so much of a "sugarcane" impression, since that raw material is so far back in the process. The sugarcane effect reminds me of putting a refined sugar packet in your mouth: before it dissolves and is still sitting as a dry powder, there is a glittering flavor without much sweetness.

Now I am inclined to try a bottle of the closely-related Golden Cask, for comparison.

Balvenie 14 year old Caribbean Cask gave me mixed emotions with it's rum-like dryness and sweetness. It was like a roller coaster ride of good and not that good aromas and taste. Few days before tasting Balvenie's 14 year old Caribbean Cask, I had tried a sample of Ron Matusalem 15 year old Gran Reserva rum. The tastes of these two were very similar so I have to say that the rum influence is obvious in the Caribbean Cask.

Balvenie 14 yrs Caribbean Cask's balance and taste are fairly good ones but the nose was too flat and the finish, though long enough, just didn't match my taste...so that's why this Balvenie was like watching After the Sunset. Getting excited every time the sweet Salma Hayek appears just to be died down by Pierce Brosnan's dry behaviour on screen.

Too bad that Pierce got more screen time, which also happened with Balvenie. Dryness wins barely, but just enough to earn under 80 points from me.

Nose: Fruity and woody in a mellow way. Too light for my taste but reminds me of fine rums.

Taste: Round with sweet vanilla mixed with dry fruits and oak. The feel of rum is there very much.

Finish: Long but not for my taste. The dry rum cask wins the battle, giving few chances for the sugar canes to impact.

Balance: Overall in good balance but maybe not enough character for my taste. Still an okay dram, offering a round palate.

Nose: Rum for sure but also hints of toffee. Spices and vanilla present as well.

Taste: Spicy with ginger present. The sweet flavours of toffee and vanilla are present and, again, you can detect the rum.

Finish: Plenty of rum and spices. Vanilla again and maybe some cocoa. Seems a bit short to me.

Balance: Rum continues right through as does the spice and the sweetness of vanilla.

This whisky is an interesting experiment but not to my taste, and I quite like Rum. I found this slightly disappointing as did my fellow enthusiasts. The finish seems short and incomplete. I felt a bit thick-headed after tasting this, which is unusual. Bit of a shame overall but still interesting, and if distilleries continue to experiment with new ideas then I'm all for that!

Color: gold.

Nose: fresh cut apples, cinnamon, and honey butter. Water brings out notes of sour candies.

Body: thick and oily.

Palate: apple rum cake -- sweet, sour, and buttery. And incredibly smooth.

Finish: moderate finish of pepper and cinnamon, some lingering dark chocolate, with a quick flash of sour apple candies (which is a little weird in the mix).

My first bottle of the Caribbean Cask was a congratulatory gift from a friend upon the birth of my daughter. Everyone I shared it with at the time drank it neat and loved it, and I've bought two bottles since. There have been visits from friends where literally the first words out of their mouths as they enter the house have been, "Do you have the Caribbean Cask?" It is easily one of the smoothest whiskeys I've ever had, and many others have echoed this sentiment.

Last night I opened a new bottle after finishing off my Macallan Fine Oak 15, and the nose and finish of the Balvenie were shockingly underwhelming. I decided not to review it until I could start fresh. Tonight I drank it on its own, and it was the same drink I'd been fond of in the past. Still, it is hard to ignore the way it disappears in the shadow of the tougher Macallan. The other thing to consider here is the fact that, at least in my area, this bottle has gone up almost $10 in the last six months, which may not seem like much, but for me, a $10 price difference really makes me think more critically about the whiskey I buy.

The bottom line is that this is a very enjoyable drink and a great one to share with friends who aren't dedicated Scotch drinkers, but the price is higher and the complexity lower than other, comparable drinks. This is definitely worth a try, but I don't know if I'll stock it as regularly in the future as I have in the past. I'd rather stick the $10 in a jar and save it for another Lagavulin.

My previous (limited) experiences with Balvenie have not exactly encouraged me to explore their full range of expressions. I've sampled the 12 yo DoubleWood (not bad, no more), the 17 yo Peated Cask (great nose, at least), and I shared my thoughts on the 15 yo Single Cask in a previous review.

So why did I spend money on another Balvenie when my encounters with the label had been one "meh" after another? Mainly because the online reviews and descriptions led me to believe the semi-new 14 yo Caribbean Cask had a flavor profile that I'd enjoy. One of the few occasions in my life when my instincts were spot-on. This is luscious stuff that earns a must-have spot in my cabinet.

Don't judge this whisky by the first dram out of the bottle, however. I enjoyed my first taste, but I thought it lacked complexity, with little more than loads of malty caramel. Now that my bottle's about six drams down, it's starting to reveal its true depth and many layers.

Nose: Honey, vanilla, and malt dominate, with touches of apples, raisins, wood, and bitter tea. A wonderful, ever-evolving nose.

Palate: Pretty much what the nose led me to expect, with some toffee, cake, and peppery spices now in the mix. Like all the sweet, warm goodness of your corner bakery in a single mouthful. A long, chewy taste also brings out a touch of lime in the dead center of my tongue -- a nice refreshing touch of tartness that keeps things from becoming too syrupy-sweet. Finish is very smooth, with malt dominating and spices lingering. Not the slightest trace of bitterness in the entire experience.

According to a few sources, this whisky is aged for 14 years in oak casks, then finished in rum casks -- although it's not clear exactly how much time they allot for the finishing (not long, apparently). Some have mentioned that it's not a particularly "rummy" whisky -- and I'm not much of a rum drinker anyway, so I wouldn't know. I can only say that it's one of the richest and most satisfying whiskies I've tried in its price range, and I'm glad that Balvenie has made the 14 yo Caribbean Cask a permanent member of their lineup.

This was recommended to me by a employee of my local bottle shop. Tried it at the shop and liked it quite well, just poured a dram for this "official" review... My only compliant, could have been bottled at a bit higher strength. Solid expression and a creative one as well.

Nose great big vanilla punch on this one (it has been opened longer than others). Flavour is long lasting with a pinch of caramel. Really shows a great deal of oak. Chewy, but smooth body.

On the nose, I find a lovely array of raisins, pears, apples, and the faintest hint of cinnamon. The nose is really quite pleasing and draws you back in repeatedly.

On the palate, it seems to bring forth dry oak notes surrounded by layers of spice and pepper. Also, there is a faint red fruit note on the finish.

On the whole, this is a good whisky all-around, with the signature Balvenie quality. However, the nose is the true star here.

The nose is sweet and fruity. On the palate, rich, spicy, and dark fruit is strong, followed by rum soaked bread (dense christmas cake). Old wood, seaweed, and dark chocolate remain for the finish.

Dark, rich, complex, and wonderful. Pretty much on par with the 17 Year Madeira Cask, just darker with a little less spice.

On the nose, this whisky is very appealing, offering honey, pepper, and the wonderful aroma of a big whisky. Perhaps just a whiff of peat, but hardly noticeable at first. Not very complex on the nose, but straightforward GOOD!

On the tongue, this is a very nice whisky, offering peppery notes and richness. The little bit of peat showed up, but very faint. Definitely spicy, unlike the 12yr Doublewood or 21yr Portwood. Although the 15yr has some spicy notes to it, this expression trumps it in that regard.

The whisky isn't very sweet on the tongue, offering little fruitiness. Perhaps a little pear or green apple. Otherwise, this is a spicy malt that goes down easily.

While I like this whisky, and I'm glad I bought it, I don't think it ranks in the top of my cabinet. This dram is just a bit too simple for me, not offering much more than spiciness.

Nose: Sweet Nose of Honey, Vanilla and hints of pears and sugar candy, on the edges you can also detect citrusy (lemony) zest. very well integrated.

Palate: Wood , spice, honey,some chocolate notes and sweet malty syrup. Oily and rich.

Finish: First a bit sweet, then drying ,long ending on oak,malt extract and wood spice. Not bad at all!

Summing it up:

Staring with a great nose that you can sniff for hours, and then to a yummy palate , thick and big bodies at a nice 47.5% ABV, this one is stunner. I like the extra sweetness and character that comes form the Rum finish, which is done wonderfully here. A really great dram not to pass on if you visit the travel retails shops on one of your next trip abroad. Now i do need to buy a ticket and fly somewhere. One more reason