Balvenie 41yo single barrel

Back in June (2015) I had the pleasure of visiting the Balvenie distillery, during this visit and tour I had the extreme pleasure of sampling a single cask 41 yo Balvenie, this was the sample given to those who are warehouse 24 members..Even better I was able to bottle up another sample to review..

This single cask is a 2nd fill bourbon barrel, filled in 1974, cask number 78803, and when sampled had an abv of 48.3%..

Nose.. O boy.. This is something else, seriously sweet, vanilla pods, toffee, coconut, a beautiful fresh and fruity note dances with delightful floral scents while intermingling in a blanket of soft smoke along with a nuttiness that engulfs your senses, all this with the most delicate of oak notes. The wood has certainly worked some magic here.

Palate.. After what feels like hours of nosing this splendid nector I take the first sip.. Creamy sweet fudge, mixed with vanilla, butterscotch and toffee ice cream, lovely floral notes, plums, and orange peel soaked in honey. The soft smokey flavour coats the tongue with a drying sensation, while the oaky notes dance the tango all over the roof of the mouth.

Finish.. The finish is Devine, toffee notes and maltesers wraped in a smokey overcoat, chocolate notes warm the tongue before letting go into a lingering oaky note..

Thoughts.. This whisky is complex, and demands your respect and full attention, the more time you take the better it gets. 41 years sitting in a cask has produced something magical, something that makes you feel humble and proud to say you have tasted it.. This is a whisky that is fit for the Angels, luckily for me they did not get it all.. Thank you Balvenie for the chance to sample this.. ocdwhisky.wordpress.com ..

Find where to buy Balvenie whisky