Fellow single malters 🙂, you must have known by now that The Balvenie is the love of my life..My absolute favorite being The Balvenie 14 Caribbean cask. Recently I tasted The Balvenie 12 Single Barrel First Fill. The label says "This bottle is one of no more than 300 drawn from a single cask". "The majority of the casks used for maturing Scotch whisky are ex-bourbon barrels brought over from America. These barrels are made of a species of oak called Quercus alba, though most perhaps commonly known as oak. And when used for the first time to mature Scotch whisky, they are termed first fill". That makes me feel special and part of something that is truly unique in flavor and making. I also wanted to try it out because of it's higher ABV of 47.8% to see how it stacks against the lesser counter parts. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.. tasting notes are quite interesting , enjoy!
The Balvenie 12 First Fill
Price- $69.99 for 750ml bottle
Age- 12 years
ABV- 47.8%
Region- Speyside
Distillery- The Balvenie Distillery, Dufftown Scotland
Award won- Gold Outstanding, Scotch Single Malt Speyside, International Wine & Spirits Competition
Tasting info-
Serving glass-Glencairn whisky glass
Serving style- Neat
Appearance- Light golden
Aroma-Highly aromatic oak, wiff of sweet bourbon as well
Flavor- The oak comes in strong, hints of sweet bourbon but does not over power the oak flavor
Body- Medium
Finish- Long,robust and smooth
SJ's rating- Top Shelf
It is top shelf no doubt, however when compared to other first fill like Glenlivet 12 this would be my second option. It does justice to the price with its amazing aroma, robust flavor but I feel it lacks the body and the appearance is a little light as well. I prefer darker colored whiskies as I drink the whisky first with my eyes then only with my mouth. It is just me :-)
Occasions Best enjoyed- Connoisseur tasting, whisky flights. Would be a special gift for scotch lovers
Cocktails- Not meant for cocktails, enjoy it neat with few drops of water
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