Whisky : Balmenach 12 Year SMWS 48.84 “Seize the moment”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 57.7%

Cask : 1st fill Ex-Bourbon

Age : 12 Years (Distilled 8 Mar. 2004, Bottled 2016)

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Whisky Tasting

Nose : Flowers in bloom, dried grass, and a clover patch— its spring florals all over.  There is a heady malty sweetness along with some orange cream candy and delicate orange blossoms.

Palate : Lovely body, like oily molasses it covers the entire palate.  Bright and sweet, spices pop in and out— dry ginger, cinnamon bark, and pink peppercorns.  There are bits of golden pastry and sandalwood, maybe a little pickled cucumber.

Finish : Lingering sweet spices tingle across the back of palate.

Score : 5

Mental Image : Spring is in bloom; pollen sufferers beware.

Something Better : Bowmore 1997 Distillery Manger’s Selection 22 Year (similar wood notes, more intense, more concentrated flavors, longer finish)

Something Similar : Balmenach 8 Year; Exclusive Malts (more fruits, less spice, similar maltiness & body)

Something Worse : Johnnie Walker Platinum 18 Year (similar spring & orange notes, less body/finish)

Notes :  Much like the other Balmenach from Exclusive Malts that I reviewed, this one has a lovely balance of different sweet notes with just a bit if iodine or maybe burnt pastry hanging in the background.  This Balmenach had much more prevalent wood spices from its time in the ex-bourbon cask verses the port maturation of the other.

There seems to be lovely thick maltiness to Balmenachs which I thoroughly enjoy.  This dram has a wonderful maturity and lovely mix of oaky spice and sweetness.  I did not find it quite as interesting and so its grade is just a bit lower.  It was simple but still a lovely dram— perhaps best suited to when you just want something light and sweet, very much uncomplicated, to take the edge off a long day.  Both Balmenachs are/were priced wonderfully— somewhere around $60-80 US making either of them a really great pick up to have as a daily dram or share with friends.