Balvenie Balvenie 30 Years Old Traditional Oak & Sherry Casks 47.3% NV

Avis professionnels

Serge Valentin (91)

I always loved the Thirty. The strength hasn’t changed, it’s always a cask-strengthish 47.3%, in true William Grant fashion. I think I also had it at the World Whisky Awards 2013.

Colour: full gold.

Nose: oh, this is so much more to my liking on the nose. Pure honey, really. In my experience almost all official Balvenies are honeyed (especially the old ones) but this is actually even more honeyed than honey. You may add a few very ripe apricots and yellow plums (mirabelles). Enough said.

Mouth: superb, punchy yet silky, extremely honeyed and jammy, with some brown sugar and fudge coating the whole. I love this richness that never becomes ‘too much’. Vanilla-infused acacia honey like a good friend uses to make.

Finish: long, smooooth, rounded, honeyed, with a little orange and mint in the aftertaste that keep your palate as fresh as a baby’s. Comments: perfect, one of my favourite honeyed Speysiders (as opposed to the sherried ones).

Gal Granov (94)

Nose: Omg. This is awesome stuff. My kind of profile: Lots of polished wood, old benches sort of. Libraries from long ago. Lots of wood spice too: Orange peel, Cloves. A hint of mint and a honey sweetness behind. Whiff of aged vinegar, and some ginger spiciness too.

Palate: a sweet start. Golden syrup. Honey. Then getting spicier and darker. Getting some smoke and a hint of aged Cuban cigar tobacco. Ginger. Crème de menthe. A very oily mouthfeel ,mouth coating. Creamy even. Chocolate covered nuts. Honeycomb. A very wide palate, with a wide spectrum of flavours. Great balance too.

Finish: Beeswax. Honey. Smoke. Aromatic wood.

Yes sir. this is a stunning dram. It really delivered all i had expected, and then some. A truly great Balvenie, with everything you can expect from a 30 year old, well aged dram. Brilliant.