Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch #7 49.2% NV

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (86)

Seven American oak casks and two European oak sherry casks, for travel retail only. Colour: deep gold. Nose: sweet Vishnu! Never has some malt whisky got this beehive-y, honeyed, luscious, rounded, and herbal. This nose is simply amazing – and would make even the most die-hard connoisseur love NAS whiskies. Not talking about good people that work for or with the industry, of course, they have to love them anyway. Amazing, amazing nose. Pecan pie, walnut cake, orange blossom honey, sultanas, various fudges, old Sauternes, old sweet chenin blanc… these sorts of lovely things. Amazing indeed. Mouth: hold on, there is a lot of oak (resinous wood, strong black tea, chewing tobacco…) It’s not that all the dried fruits aren’t there, and all the herbs, but the oak’s a little dominant. Around walnut skins. Some peppery/mustardy notes too. Finish: long, bitter, oaky. A dry Jaegermeister. Cloves, cinnamon mints, more black tea. Comments: the nose was out of this world, and a part of the palate was too, but I found the oak a little too predominant. Or was that the European oak’s influence?