By: by Anansa Jacob (Wed, 13 May 2009)
As far as whisky labels go, The Balvenie has been known to only a select group of connoisseurs in Malaysia. Recently, however, it was given its first official introduction to the public at a special tasting session in the city.
The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts produced in Speyside in the Scottish Highlands. This whisky has a rich history dating back centuries when William Grant founded the distillery in 1886. Since then, the distillery (bottom) has remained in family hands, and today, is owned by William Grant & Sons Ltd.
What sets The Balvenie apart from other whiskies is the fact that it still retains and nurtures a high level of craftsmanship from start to finish.
The distillery grows its own barley, nourished by the fertile ground and rich water source. It is also one of the last few distilleries in the Scottish Highlands to still use the traditional floor malting technique (middle) to create the sugar essential to producing alcohol.
The Balvenie also employs its own coppersmith, who is the distillery’s longest serving employee, with 60 years of service. It is his job to maintain the copper stills where The Balvenie is distilled.
The distillery has its own coopers as well, whose job is to build and maintain the casks where the whisky is matured.
The Balvenie is one of the few companies to still have such employees stationed permanently on site to continue their work and preserve their craft.
Its range of single malts is crafted by respected malt master David Stewart, the longest-serving malt master in the industry.
Introducing those malts to Malaysians was The Balvenie ambassador David Mair, who travels the world to explain the heritage and flavour of the label.
Mair led the tasting of the four different whiskies brought over (top): The Balvenie DoubleWood Single Malt Scotch Whisky (12 Years), The Balvenie Single Barrel Single Malt Scotch Whisky (15 Years), The Balvenie PortWood Single Malt Scotch Whisky (21 Years), and a special vintage cask, The Balvenie Thirty Single Malt Scotch Whisky (30 Years).
The 12 Years single malt is matured in two different casks, a traditional oak whisky cask and an European oak sherry cask. This results in a fruity nose with sherry notes, layered with honey and vanilla. The taste ends up a combination of flavours, nutty sweetness, cinnamon spiciness and a dash of sherry, with a long, warming finish.
The 15 Years single malt is specially selected by the malt master, from casks which he believes has the essential characters like honey, vanilla and oaky notes. The single malt comes in hand-numbered bottles, each unique and unrepeatable.
The taste is a honeyed maltiness with vanilla oak flavours and spiciness. The long finish also has a touch of liquorice.
The 21 Years single malt is described as a marriage of rare Balvenie which is transferred to port casks, or pipes, which have held fine port wines.
This gives it a very fruity nose, backed by a dry nuttiness, and a creamy, silky taste with fruit, honey and spice notes with a long, gentle nutty finish.
The rare 30 Years single malt is another specially selected brew, picked from exceptional casks which were laid out 30 years previously.
The whiskies produced are rich and mellow with unusual depth and complexity. The nose is silky smooth and honeyed, with mellow oaky tones and hints of candied orange peel.
The taste is tinged with flavours of rich, dark chocolate, plum, marzipan and caramelised pear. It has an exceptional smooth and warming finish, with gentle spice and a lingering sweetness.
The Balvenie has won over a hundred whisky awards in the last 10 years alone, with the world’s most acclaimed experts and discerning connoisseurs all recognising the dedication and rich heritage that go into creating every bottle.
Coming with such credentials, it looks as though The Balvenie might soon win over the hearts and palates of whisky lovers here as well.
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