When I lived in MD there was a liquor store near my place.  I’d get wine there when my wife would visit and they had a great collection of scotch.  One item I would frequently get was a sampler of Balvenie.  The 21 year port wood was my favorite of the samples.

Nose is sweet and citrus, maybe orange, with a little spice .

When it first enters the mouth (I guess this is the palate) it has quite a fizz to it.  I taste a spicy profile, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, but it’s not too spicy.  There is something in the taste that reminds me of the smell of wood and I’m not just saying that because it’s finished in a port wood cask.  Many of my favorite Islay scotches taste a bit like coal, burnt wood.  This actually has a taste that reminds me of the smell of a wood shop, fresh sanded or cut wood rather than a fire place.  I taste sweet but again not too much, and a little smoky.  It’s almost like the burnt brown sugar cover on a crème brule.  So there is smoky too, which I like.  The overall taste is medium strength and very smooth.

The finish is very smooth.  I am usually not attracted to the fruity, floral, malt and nutty side of things.  Peat, smoke, salt and similar flavors appeal to me.  But this is different.  This one has enough of a burnt taste to make me want it more and more.  As I said this was my favorite of the three samples I always got and I’m glad I have a full bottle.

As I try this again and again I have to say that the flavor of this scotch is the flavor of Christmas.  That’s right.  The combination of malt, cinnamon and ginger, caramel remind me a bit of gingerbread and the wood taste like a tree.

This scotch is so good in my opinion that is the only one that could convert me from Islay to Speyside.  This one is on the pricy side at about $200 per bottle.  It’s not as expensive as a 30 year or 25 year but not an every day habit for most of us.

Copyright 2014 David R Bergman