Balvenie Single Barrel 12 Year

47.8% abv Non chill-filtered Colorant possibly added Nose: fresh. sweet and grassy. Honey; bright apple; some citrus, too, like pineapple and orange. Taste: sweet and bitter/sour. a little hot and astringent in the arrival, but then sweet mocha and acidic fruit; heavy vanilla and barley sugar. Finish: medium length. sweet and acidic, with vanilla, honey,, ginger and mint, hot cocoa, and a hint of white chocolate and salted caramel. Value: $70-80 USD. Borderline worth it. Final thoughts: I really enjoy this dram. It’s not an introductory single malt, but rather an altogether singular experience (it’s a single barrel, after all). I commend Balvenie for releasing a first full single barrel that’s readily available and affordable. Unlike bourbon, single barrel/cask releases are hard to come by. Grab this if you’re looking for a unique and at time challenging Speysider. But if you’re a beginner, grab the Balvenie 12 Double Wood first; it will help you appreciate this one all the more. Score: 4/5 (highly recommend buying a bottle) Malt musing: “Drinking can cause memory loss, or even worse, memory loss.”

Sweet and no burn, great scotch.

Gorgeous with a splash of water. Very easy to drink and oodles of flavour. A favourite for sure