Balvenie 21 YO PortWood
Balvenie 21 YO PortWood, 40 %
A classic Speyside giant is up for review here. The Balvenie Distillery was established back in 1892. In 1996 they released this flagship product, the Balvenie 21 YO PortWood.
I started drinking whisky in the summer of 1997, and this whisky has been a favourite of mine since late 1998. This was the first expensive and old whisky I ever bought when I started out exploring the wonderful world of whisky.
The Balvenie 21 YO PortWood is finished in thirty year old port pipes. I do not know what sort of casks it has initially been matured in, but I would guess a mix of bourbon and sherry casks.
There are actually two versions of the Balvenie 21 YO PortWood. In duty free there is a non chill-filtered expression bottled at 47.6 % ABV. I certainly will have to get my hands on this variant, and do a head-to-head comparison.
You can pick up a bottle of the Balvenie 21 YO PortWood in Norway at NOK 1599 (3384301), in Sweden at SEK 1490 (85553), and online in the UK at around GBP 113.
Nose: Warm and comforting from the first sniff. Apples with a dusting of icing sugar. Oranges, camphor and malt drops. With time a fine tuned nuttiness. All in all a delicate, balanced and a bit dusty dram.
Taste: Surprisingly rich mouthfeel for an ABV of just 40 %. Soft and delicate, as the nose. Honey glazed oranges. Soft spices, grapes and red berries. A touch earthy and with something like wine notes in the back.
Finish: Medium to long finish. Lighter notes towards the end, but it keeps developing. Now I find vanilla, apples, banana, honey, and almond milk.
Comments: An old favourite that still delivers!
Score (88/100)
Image from Master of Malt.
Sláinte! - Thomas