KoryH
Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed
December 29, 2016 (edited January 6, 2018)
Unfortunately, I set my expectations a little to high for this one.
Raisins, pecans, and a bourbon quality all attack the nose.
Vanilla, brown sugar, sour pineapple, and warm sugar cookies are found on the palate. The mouthfeel is very sugary.
I've enjoyed other offerings from Balvenie, 12 & 15 year single barrels. This one didn't match up.
3.5
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@Slainte-Mhath Agree about the 15 year old single barrel - it stands out significantly in their range. All the other Balvenies I've tasted have seemed OK, but over- priced and not worth pursuing. The 16 yo Triple Barrel is a super sweet freak that has its own weird charm, but again, just not worth tracking down duty free.
I think for me personally, I've committed to the likes of Balvenie as gifting for holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries to folks that aren't as familiar with whiskey, and think anything outside Macallan, Glenmorangie, Balvenie and Glenfiddich is junk (namely because they don't see ads or marketing exposure)
It's interesting that you guys have said pretty much the same thing. I've always related Balvenie to quality and luxury, although that was because of the 15 yr single barrel. I'm still not giving up on them yet as I find that they still have quality whisky, however, my perspective has changed.
Your analysis is spot on. The only Balvenie I actually recommend is the 'new' 15-year-old Sherry Single Barrel with elevated ABV. Some time ago, I considered buying the 21-year-old Portwood - but seriously, 40% ABV and the hefty price tag let me reconsider. Pranay is right: these 'mainstream' bottlings are not bad, but overpriced and rather boring. In the past months, rather unfamiliar names such as Aultmore, Craigellachie, Tamdhu and of course Tomatin creaped up on my list of 'must try'. Isn't it the joy of our malt journey, to find the hidden gems beyond heavily marketed travel retail products?
Me too....Glenmorangie, Balvenie and Glenfiddich all sort of fall into "really nice, but overpriced" category.
I actually liked this Balvenie more than both the 12 and 17 year DoubleWood simply because it added another dimension of flavor on the palate. I have yet to have a Balvenie that I felt was very complex, so the simple fact that this had a few more nuances to it made it a bit more enjoyable. Balvenie is on the same level as Glenmorangie to me- I don't think I'll buy any more of them until someone gives me something I consider incredible. There's just too many other choices out there right now. Nice review, btw. Cheers.