Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 1

The Balvenie Tun 1401 releases are legendary but by now almost nowhere to be found or simply unaffordable. I feel quite lucky to have tried two batches (2 and 8). Now Balvenie returns with a new series named Tun 1509. This vat is four times as big as tun 1401. The first batch consists of no less than 42 casks: 35 bourbon casks and 7 sherry casks (so a lot less sherry than in the Tun 1401 releases). I wonder if David Wishart has done his magic again.

Ah, look, the nose is immediately paradise. Wonderfully creamy with loads of waxy notes, upholstered with sweet honey, overripe mango, juicy apples, blood oranges and something that reminds me of wood glue – but in a good sense. A leaf of mint? Cherries and strawberries after a few moments. Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon, but also some candied ginger. This is very expressive and comes in layers. Delicious.

Good body. Oily on the palate. Very sweet on honey, oranges, mango, bitter grapefruit. But the spices soon take the reins: ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and quinine. Tobacco rears it (big) head, but the bourbon casks are cleary in the majority.

The finish is long and warming. I get some green apples, rhubarb and spices.

Wonderfully complex whisky. This may be a NAS release, but it is top class. Having said that: the whisky is younger, there are more bourbon casks in the mix and a lot more bottles available and yet it is a lot more expensive (around 300 EUR) than the Tun 1401 releases. Ah, economics.

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