Balvenie Portwood 21 Year

The standout of The Balvenie tasting. Extremely smooth with subtle notes.

* Sydney Balvenie whisky tasting night, 26 April 2018. Whisky #4. Nose: The classic Balvenie dusky floral orange and honey nose appears here in a more mellow form. The orange note has almost completely transformed into apricot, peach and stewed plums, and the honey has softened into a velvety curtain. The port presence is restrained and elegant, giving the nose a lift of red grape and cherry aromas. The Balvenie vanilla is also present however this time it’s not vanilla flowers, but more like the smell of warm Portuguese pastéis de nata. Palate: A lush, sweet arrival with plums and berries is balanced by a malty note that saves it from being cloying. In the development there are cherries, raisins, honey, hazelnuts, dark Belgian chocolate and vanilla cream, but all very subdued and soft. Finish: Medium. A fruity chocolate/vanilla dream that fades in the most gentle and gradual manner imaginable. I’m always a little cautious with port or madeira finishes as the result can too often become a grotesque caricature. Sherry is somehow easier to manage and combines well with most distillates (PX can be surprisingly wonderful with heavily peated expressions), but other fortified wines can be a risk. However if there is anyone who can pull it off it’s Balvenie’s David Stewart. The result here is a very fine whisky that is all about velvety-soft subtlety. Seductive sweet fruity notes are layered with just enough complexity to add interest but keep the story straightforward and eminently approachable. The port finish avoids any obvious wine presence and instead contributes fruity notes and a muting of the the oak tannins. This is how port should be used – not as a simple flavouring but as a finishing agent – like giving a final polish with the finest grade of jewellers’ rouge. I enjoyed this whisky a lot but I can understand how other palates might find it too restrained and laid-back, and it is rather expensive. I liked it enough to buy a bottle at the tasting, but I don't think I'll replace it once it's finished. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)