“Sweet and Innocent”
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: The Balvenie Caribbean Cask
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 14 Years
ABV: 43 %
Colour: Golden
Nose: Quite Sweet with two main Aromas, Caramel and Fruit. I find Toffee, Caramel, Nougat, Buttered Toast, Tangerine, Pineapple, Orange, Banana and Papaya Cream. This Balvenie opens up with time and after a while I also find some Raisins, Nuts, Malt, Honey, Straw, Damp Wood, Earth and a tiny bit of Alcohol. The Rum Finish really adds some nice Tropical Fruit Tones.
Palate: Light and Sweet but also more Spicy than I expected after the Nose. I find Orange, Tangerine, Pineapple, Honey, Malt, Sugared Almonds, Toffee, light Oak, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and a hint of Aniseed.
Finish: Sweet and on the short side with some Fruit, Sugared Almonds, Honey, Malt, Vanilla Flavoured Toffee, Spices and a touch of Lemon.
With a bit of water the Nose becomes more Flowery. But in general this Single Malt does not improve with Water.
Rating: 84
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21
General Remarks: The Balvenie distillery was founded in Dufftown in 1892 by William Grant. It is still in the hands of the Grant family. The Balvenie lies at the heart of the Grant's Family Reserve Blend. The Caribbean Cask matured for 14 Years in Traditional Ex-Bourbon Casks before being transferred to American Oak Casks that previously held West Indian Rums. It mostly sells at around 70 US Dollars.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good. I was expecting more though!
Conclusion: I like the Nose but Palate and Finish aren't quite convincing. I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between the Balvenie Double Wood 12, the Single Barrel 15 and this Caribbean Cask 14. For sure, the latter one is a tad Sweeter and I'm sure there are other subtle differences when you put these three Single Malts under a Magnifying Glass. But, in my opinion, the 12 Double Wood remains the best value for money option.
Jan van den Ende February 27, 2014
