Balvenie 12 Years Old Single Barrel First Fill

By Barry Bradford on December 17, 2014 • ( Leave a comment )

The Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill 12 Years Old

47.8% ABV,
£44.14

What they say:

The Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill has been aged in a first fill, ex-bourbon cask for at least 12 years. Almost all Scotch Whisky is matured in casks previously used by Bourbon distillers. When brought to Scotland and used for the very first time they are known as ‘First Fill’. Our Malt Master samples the aged whisky, cask by cask and selects only those characterised by sweetness and subtle vanilla oak to be bottled as The Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill. A series of “limited editions” – Each bottle is one of no more than 300 drawn from a single cask and each is hand-numbered and carries the number of the cask in which it matured. Dr Andrew Forrester, UK Brand Ambassador says: “As no two casks will ever produce the same whisky and there are no more than 300 bottles from any single cask, every batch of The Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill will have a unique identity. Due to the experience David Stewart has from over 50 years at The Balvenie however, we can expect a consistent character to this dram and boy, it is a good one”.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE

Bounty of sweet oak and spice.

TASTE

Rich and complex with deep vanilla oakiness. Honey notes will be overlaid with sweet fruits and subtle spices.

FINISH

Lingering sweetness.

What we say:

This light gold dram was full of sweet vanilla and marzipan, plenty of The Balvenie core distillate flavours in here too, this was recommended as a match to mussels or scallops. To understand a little more about this whisky some of The Balvenie new make spirit was passed around, this clear 69.7% ABV liquid was redolant with aromas of yeast and barley, flour and baking reminding us of the distillery mashtun and washback scents.