Balvenie 40 Year Old Batch 7

Balvenie 17 Year Old Madeira Cask

I am a HUGE Balvenie fan. In fact, I haven't tried a Balvenie expression yet that I did not like. My favorite so far is the 21yr Port Wood. This whisky is a nicely aged dram with an interesting finish, being extra matured in Madeira casks. I don't expect it to be better than the 21yr, but I hope it is better than the 12yr Doublewood. I ordered a...

Score 80/100

Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask

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...

Score 84/100

Balvenie 10 Year Old Founder's Reserve

Color: amber. Nose: some classic Balvenie notes here -- apples, honey, and vanilla, some citrus -- but also something herbal, like Yerba Mate tea. And a kind of vegetable smell, like freshly cut green peppers. Body: light and oily. Palate: caramel, vanilla, and white chocolate over oranges and plums. There's just a tiny bit of smoke and pepper,...

Score 82/100

Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood

In keeping with my latest entry-level dram series, we have this twelve year old DoubleWood. I believe it replaces the old 10 Year Old Founder's Reserve (which is excellent - grab it if you can find it), and is matured for ten years in ex-bourbon barrels, then another two years in ex-sherry casks. The colour is a deep amber. On the nose, quite...

Score 78/100