Balvenie Single Barrel 12 Year

Strong to the pallet, yet light to the eye. Potent in flavour with a vanilla edge and some spice in the body.

Admittedly I’m a fan of Balvenie, ever since the 12 Year Doublewood sent me exploring down the scotch path all those years ago. As a member of the core range, this Balvenie Single Barrel spent 12 years in bourbon casks and boasts a hefty ABV. While sharing the same age as its Balvenie sibling, this bottle is wildly different than its Doublewood brethren - the ultra friendly Doublewood being a great ‘intro to scotch’ and the Single Barrel being a rugged bruiser. Strong astringent grass, barley, and bourbon-like vanilla on the nose, followed by a bitter explosion of similar notes when taking a sip. The finish is bold with a honeyed sweetness. Definitely enjoyable. Really can’t recall other bottles of scotch with this profile. Rating: Distiller score of 89 is probably spot on. This comparatively unique single barrel scotch is worth a spin - a pour for sure if not a bottle. Cheers Cask Number: 5303 Bottle Number: 68

Heavy honeysuckle front and slight orange finish