dmcentee
Balvenie Portwood 21 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed
August 13, 2018 (edited January 24, 2019)
was at the old alma mater this week conducting on campus interviews for work, which was a good excuse to try some new whiskies. Last night, our recruiting team dined at a restaurant with a $100 per person minimum. After ordering food, the waiter informed us that we were still well below our minimum, so I decided to do my part. For the Firm, of course. For my final drink, I went with something that I hoped could serve as dessert whisky to cap off the evening.
Age: 21 years
Abv: 43%
Nose: Surprisingly big for being in a tumbler. It smells like, well, port, accompanied by some rich nutty and dried fruit aromas. (23/25 points)
Taste: More port. More nuts. Some oak shows up, as well as what I’ll call Coca Cola. Big and rich, the mouthfeel is fairly thick for something with only a 43% ABV. (45/50 points)
Finish: Medium length. Pretty much just a continuation of what came before, with perhaps a little honey as it fades away. (21/25) points)
Conclusion: Tastes like desert in a bottle, which is what I was going for. Balvenie did a good job importing port flavors without overpowering the whisky, and the end result is a solid dram that is sweet without being overly so. That being said, this isn’t worth the price. I don’t know how much this particular pour cost, but I’ve seen this for around $200, and you can buy a lot of good whisky for that amount. As such, I’d gladly drink this if offered, but I would not purchase my own bottle.
89/100
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Reviews like this give me hope for my unopened bottle. I tried a sample at a festival and wasn’t impressed. Here’s hoping the latter isn’t true. Nice review, btw. Cheers.