Comments on: Review: Balvenie 15 year old, Single Barrel

By: Whisky Gift Guide for the Holidays | Whisky Party

Whisky Gift Guide for the Holidays | Whisky Party — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:07:31 +0000

[...] Opinions: Malt Advocate (John Hansell); Aqua Vitae [...]

By: peter

peter — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:10:46 +0000

would you consider selling one of these bottles? Pete

By: peter

peter — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:20:58 +0000

I am not a whiskey expert but I do have brother in law in Dallas who is. earlier this year I lost a bet on the super bowl to him for a gift of his choice. You probably guessed that his choice was this cask #7266. so being the expert that I am not I waited until I was going to visit him in Dallas to give him his scotch and called Julio’s last week. They were nice in that they didn’t laugh me off the phone. So is it possible to buy a bottle of this from someone around the Boston area that would want to part with one??

By: mongo

mongo — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:26:33 +0000

you know, after going through most of the bottle at a rapid rate i think i now agree with john’s evaluation of this whisky as applying to cask 1708 as well–really very good indeed. i’m appreciating the balance of the oak and the fruit more now and i will indeed replace the bottle as soon as it runs out. though another store here has bottles from a different cask, and i’m tempted to try a comparison.

By: Red_Arremer

Red_Arremer — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:24:12 +0000

Mongo, the different casks of Balvenie 15 vary enough that any given individual with a decent palate and particular preferences would be likely to like some more and others less. Some feel that the variation is even greater and see the whole line as hit or miss.

By: mongo

mongo — Mon, 03 May 2010 03:43:50 +0000

i would put my bottle in the mid-high 80s. it is indeed very good but it didn’t make me want to rush out and get another bottle. i may yet grow to like it a lot more–the highland park 12 left me cold when i first tried it and now it is one of my favourite malts (this might be an interesting topic if not already discussed? “what malts did you once like/dislike that you now don’t care for/like and why?”). on the whole, i think, the reason i rate it a little lower than you is actually cited in your review: the lack of depth. then again we drank bottles from different casks (though i’m not sure how much real variation there is across these casks). but the difference in our estimations is not large enough to qualify as disagreement.

By: John Hansell

John Hansell — Sun, 02 May 2010 17:33:59 +0000

I really like the balance and subtle nuances of the whisky.

By: mongo

mongo — Sun, 02 May 2010 03:21:49 +0000

i mentioned in an earlier comment that i brought home a bottle this evening. well, i have now cracked it open. this is from cask 1708. very nice, but i don’t think cask 1708 deserves a 91 rating. it is a very well-balanced whisky, and there’s no hint of over-oaking, but in the end there’s nothing very distinctive about it. but since i only paid $48.99 for it i am not complaining.

By: mongo

mongo — Sat, 01 May 2010 23:28:13 +0000

i guess i’m not sure why/how a single barrel bottling sold as a 15 year old would have older whisky in it? if it’s all from one cask then it must all be of the same age. and if that cask has been aged for 16 or 17 years why is it sold as a 15 year old?

i’m asking all this out of the blue because i turned to this thread after bringing a bottle of the 15 year old single barrel (from cask 1708) home this evening. haven’t cracked it open yet.

By: Red_Arremer

Red_Arremer — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:15:47 +0000

Yeah, that would be awesome! You should really do it.

Btw, a friend of mine just picked up the last bottle in the nearby store for me so I feel lucky.

By: Michael Z

Michael Z — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:42:38 +0000

….a true 15…..always unique….my wife’s ‘ flavorite’

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:18:44 +0000

I had similar experience with a 15yo single barrel – creaking with oak – and I miss the FR 10 yo. Anyone try the Rum Cask 17 yet?

By: two-bit cowboy

two-bit cowboy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:07:04 +0000

Ah, a true “15.” I’ve not had one that was actually 15 years old. Speaks volumes for that cask, eh?

By: Luke - AspiringGent

Luke - AspiringGent — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:11:59 +0000

Definitely one of my favourite all-time Balvenies

By: sam k

sam k — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:56:11 +0000

I always figure that when a whiskey (especially a scotch) costs less than its rating, it’s probably worth buying!

Though I’m not generally scotch-oriented, I have really enjoyed the Balvenies I’ve had over the years. This sounds like a good addition to the family!