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Balvenie 21 Year Old Port Wood Finish

A Classic Re-visited

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@MaltActivistReview by @MaltActivist

3rd Mar 2014

0

Balvenie 21 Year Old Port Wood Finish
  • Nose
    23
  • Taste
    24
  • Finish
    23
  • Balance
    24
  • Overall
    94

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Early on in my days as a malt enthusiast (read freak) I was always on the lookout for Jim Murrays' 93+ point whiskies and this 21 year old port finished Balvenie was on top of my 'must buy' list. So imagine my utter delight when I discovered this at the Duty Free during one of my travels.

As expected I had no idea what I was drinking. Not only that, I had the audacity to write a three line review and post it for all and sundry to see. I praised it but had no inkling why I was praising it.

Today I know why.

Nose: Robust. Confident. As you would expect a 21 year old to be. A whisky, that is! The port finish comes through on the back of remarkably balanced cocoa beans and fruit cake wrapped in chewy toffee. Then there is the sweet beeswax complemented by gorgeous red apples and a teasing cinnamon spice. And grapes. Lots of grapes. Dark grapes.

Palate: Beautifully textured. I know it's medium-bodied but the palate is sending thick syrupy signals to the brain. Must be all that cocoa, thick grapes and warm apple stew covered in salty nuts.

Finish: Long and seductive. The cinnamon fruitcake is back and renders you almost incapacitated.

This is truly an example of what real magic must feel like.

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11 comments

@Maltmaniacmate
Maltmaniacmate commented

Bullshit! It's only 40 %. Balvenie needs to step up their game. Yeah, its good, but it could've been GREAT. I love them, just like you, but the more I taste the more I think they're conning us with their low ABV.

10 years ago 0

@wtrstrnghlt
wtrstrnghlt commented

How I loved my 6ml sample of this. Must buy a full bottle someday. The Port has a really big influence I think. My girlfriend, who hates almost all my other Whisky, loved the nose on this one. Not weird at all since she loves Port.

The nose is the best part however, mainly because of the lower ABV. Still I think the 'thick' palate is wonderful. I remember it as a gentle Whisky. Feminine almost.

10 years ago 0

@MaltActivist
MaltActivist commented

hahah @Maltmaniacmate I would have to agree with you on the low abv (maybe, not as emphatically :-) - I think a slightly higher ABV would have been excellent!

@wtrstrnghlt I think you definitely need to procure yourself something more than 6ml !

10 years ago 0

@wtrstrnghlt
wtrstrnghlt commented

@tabarakRazvi you really can't say things like that to me. You're going to make me buy this one for real, because I've seen in a shop near me, for a decent price. I can barely control myself now!

10 years ago 0

@Maltmaniacmate
Maltmaniacmate commented

Yeah, it was the corryvreckan talking last night ;) Sure 40 % can work sometimes, but would be lovely to taste it a 43 or even 46 %. Good review by the way!

10 years ago 0

@MaltActivist
MaltActivist commented

@wtrstrnghlt it's available and at a decent price. I think you might have made up your mind already ;-)

10 years ago 0

@whiskyed
whiskyed commented

I have seen this whisky at 43% U.S. retail and 47.5% travel retail so your wish is attainable.

10 years ago 0

@wtrstrnghlt
wtrstrnghlt commented

It's only one mans opinion of course :)

10 years ago 0

@Jules
Jules commented

This being bottled at just 40% means that, unfortunately, I will never buy a whole bottle myself. I just don't fork out that kind of money for premium Scotch at such a low ABV. So I will continue to wait until I can sample a dram...

10 years ago 0