Oh boy am I excited to try this one. Balvenie's Single Barrel 12 year is matured in first fill American white oak ex-bourbon barrels so this sounds like quite the mouth watering proposition. The nose explodes with fruit. Extremely sweet honey drizzled pears and grapes with candied apricots. Vanilla swirls with that honey to create a luscious sweetness. Although pleasant, it isn't overly complex and I'm really hoping there's significantly more bourbon barrel influence on the taste. The taste is very light and subtle. Immediately I feel that this single malt is probably a great "premium" pick for someone who isn't heavy into whisky. It is light, sweet and inoffensive but in some ways a bit of a disappointment for what I was expecting. That honey lingers throughout the taste, mixing with powdered sugar dusted apples, pears and grapes. There is the faintest hint of charred oak on the back of the taste but really, this whisky is predominately fruit forward and extremely bright, almost effervescent. The finish is light and a little spicy. Cinnamon sugar creates a little tongue prickle mixed with just enough tannic bite to balance out the finish. It actually kind of leaves you wanting those characteristics within the main body of the taste. This is a very light, airy single malt from one of the best distilleries in the world. Honestly, I'm not entirely convinced this was worth the price of entry. For just thirty or so dollars more, you could have a bottle of their absolutely stunning Curious Casks 14 year bourbon barrel that imparts way more character. In some ways, this single barrel 12 year perfectly fits the mold of " inoffensive, drinkable single malt" but at this price it really should have had something to make it stand out from the crowd.