Taster

Nose: Perfumy, fruity. Passion fruit. Raisiny. Nutty dryness, marzipan.

Palate: Very complex. Toffee, creamy, winey, aniseed.

Finish: Long, cedary, dry.

Comment: Bring on the petits-fours.

Score: 9

Taster

Nose: Fruity and ripe; lovely and grapey yet smoky, too. Finely tuned.

Palate: Silkier than the other Balvenies, and with greater fruit and spice. Yet some how lacks their complexity.

Finish: Enormous. Wave upon wave of deep smoky/oaky notes. A slight hint of sap towards the finish, though, as the whisky heads in a bourbony direction.

Comment: The port wood has altered the shape of the whisky. The malt plays a less significant part, which means limited complexity.

Score: 8