Balvenie is one of the most famous names in the world of whisky. It is a large distillery capable of producing over 5.5 million litres of spirit a year and is described as ‘the complete distillery’, due to the fact that every process of production takes place on the site. Balvenie opened in 1892 by William Grant, who wanted to build a new distillery in order to help his other distillery at Glenfiddich to meet consumer demand. Balvenie remains under the ownership of the Grant family, making William Grant & Sons one of the longest single family ownership in the world.
Had the pleasure to open this bottle for my girlfriend who is turning 30 and just a way to tell her just how lucky I am to have her in my life. We love Balvenie and own many of their other drams, from the 15 to the 21, the Caribbean cask and the 17, and so on. The coveted 30 year old has been in our sight for too long, and we finally had the opportunity to get a dram for a taste.
Name: The Balvenie 30 year old Single Malt Scotch
Region: Speyside, Scotland
ABV: 47.3%
Nose: Chocolate, Marzipan, apples, nutmeg and a good amount of smoke. Didn’t think it would be smoky since its not peated nor does it have the color like some of its predecessors do, but it was and had a nice hint of spices that really hit the nose hard.
Palate: Gingerbread Cookies, butter, dried fruits, toffee, oak spices and sweet apples and zesty oranges. It all comes together subtly and very smoothly. Almost has a hint of almonds and vanilla velvety smoothness on the tongue. Great mouthfeel.
Finish: Medium finish, with cranberry apples, and cinnamon spices. Refreshing and smooth.
