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Balvenie 15 Year Old

Quite Hit and Miss.

0 386

@OnibubbaReview by @Onibubba

25th May 2013

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Balvenie 15 Year Old
  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Overall
    86

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This has been a favorite whisky for some time. When it is on, it is all honey, and I love it. Now and again, I get a bitter finish that I dislike. Recently, I have come under the impression that the younger the In Cask Date, the better the chance for an exceptional bottle. Tonight I have opened Cask 11980. In cask December 10 1993. In bottles on Oct 13 2009.

All the honey and alcohol I could hope for on the aroma. Eel sauce. Briny. Then, back to honey.

I cannot imagine a better pairing for this bottle than a plate of Cantonese Roast Pork

Taste: Bitter, waxy, burning. Sweet honey. Bitter, waxy, burning.

Finish: Drying. Bitter.

I have had better bottles. I am giving this a score based solely on this particular bottle. Should improve with a bit of breathing room.

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3 comments

@Victor
Victor commented

"Quite Hit and Miss" would describe all of my experience with Balvenie, except for the 10 yo Founders Reserve, which has always been excellent. Even the usually great 21 yo Portwood varies a bit in quality.

11 years ago 0

@FMichael
FMichael commented

Is it me, or are we "hearing" about the Balvenie more so than it's older, and more established sibling the Glenfiddich these past few years?

Add to that - the price hikes, and suspect quality in some bottlings leave me wondering if my favorite distillery is getting to big for it's own good?

11 years ago 0

@Onibubba
Onibubba commented

The price hikes are the greatest offender in my book. Dip in quality? Well, I expect some of that from a single barrel whisky like the 15YO or the new 12YO. As to dips in quality from their other releases, I wouldn't know. I don't like the Doublewood and the others are too expensive.

As for the SB 12, it is 70+ in Nashville TN with no cask date / bottling date information on the bottle. I tried one. Not bad, but at that price, and w/o additional cask/bottling information, not a repeat purchase. I only buy SB 15 if the cask date is in the 1980's (or earlier. Ha! Like I'll ever find one of those).

So yeah, The Balvenie has effectively priced itself out of the market for me.

11 years ago 0