Balmenach, we're back


July 18, 2023

Balmenach, we're back

It looks like we last did a Balmenach session in… 2018. It is not a very well-known name, it now belongs to Inver House (InterBev /ThaiBev) together with Pulteney, Balblair, AnCnoc or Speyburn, but it's almost never sold as an official single malt (there was a 25 yo around 2002 and former owners UD/Diageo did bottle it within their Flora & Fauna series in the 1990s.) Pre-1997 Balmenach was still UD/Diageo juice, but not sure we'll have some. We'll do this session randomly, in any case… By the way, Balmenach is rather advertised as the home and the makers of Caorunn Gin these days, but no worries, that is not the purpose of this session...

Balmenach-Glenlivet 10 yo 2013/2023 (55.9%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, PX for 3 years, 276 bottles)

So this new one was re-racked in PX in September 2020. Colour: dark red amber. Nose: it's been clearly boosted with very heavy PX, but that undoubtedly worked. It's shock-full of black raisins, Nescafé, Ovaltine, fruity protein bars (blackberry and peanut, perhaps), hoisin sauce, fermenting figs… There really is a very strong smell of pure sweet PX. While dry PX seems to be more and more successful these days (PX seco). With water: more on game, meat sauces, Worcester, mole, chocolate… Mouth (neat): very thick, spicier on the palate, with more coffee too, more marmalade, more corn syrup, heavy molasses, gravy, brown sauce… I believe you could drizzle this over a hamburger and call it Mac PX or something. With water: thicker yet. Touches of cedar shavings, blood oranges, it's still very PX-forward. Finish: same. Rather long. Comments: good success, where's that hamburger? Could work on ribs too, I suppose… Haggis?
SGP:661 - 86 points.

Perhaps an older classic hogshead by Cadenhead? They've had myriads of Balmenach over the last few years…

Balmenach-Glenlivet 13 yo 2005/2018 (55.2%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 312 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: tense, on green fruits, greengages, gooseberries, cider apples and mown lawn. A little clay and chalk in the background, plus green melons and a tiny bit of soap. Classic young filler. With water: pure porridge and tighter muesli. Mouth (neat): good, starting a tad malty, then all on lemon, granny smith, grist, grass and leaven bread. Quite a lot of peppermint too. Some austerity for sure. With water: lemons at the helm, it's almost becoming citric. Finish: long, ultra-tight. Green apples, grapefruit skin… Comments: scrubs and cleans a little bit. I like this style, even if there are oceans of it in the Scottish warehouses.
SGP:461 - 82 points.

How about a really old one?

Balmenach 40 yo 1979/2019 (45.4%, Hunter Laing, Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 174 bottles)

UD juice. We've had some excellent 1979 Balmenach in the past, I remember a Sansibar for example. Colour: gold. Nose: you do not quite feel the old age, rather a combination of fresh vanilla and ripe bananas at first, plus some acacia blossom, pollen, honeysuckle in full bloom, and perhaps even a little old Chablis… Mouth: excellently honeyed, with touches of menthol, liquorice, myrtle, bay leaves perhaps, elder liqueur, sorb, then grapefruit, perhaps a little pine resin from all this time in wood. Some green tannins appearing after a minute or two. Finish: myrtle liqueur! Myrtle liqueur is good fun but it is said to be an acquired taste. Some saltiness, smoked salmon rillettes… Comments: very good and complex, still fresh. Lovely small berries, that's proper maturation.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

Perhaps a mad winey youngster at a civilised strength…

Balmenach 9 yo 2011/2021 (46%, Hart Bros., 1st fill Port pipe)

Actually, it says 'First Port Pipe Filled' but I'm not sure what that means. Colour: white wine, so no straight Port. Nose: fresh oak and old concrete, plaster, celeriac, eggplant, seaweed (wakame), baker's yeast, then tangerines to lift it up. Broken branches, roots… No cassis, no strawberries, no cherries, no Port than we can detect at this point. Mouth: some 'oak pepper', clove, stewed fruit, old boy's jam, black tea, more pepper, even more pepper… Finish: and more pepper yet. The aftertaste is a little difficult, ultra-peppery and full of bitter herbs and vegetables. Comments: it's good, while the end is tougher.
SGP:471 - 80 points.

This wasn't planned but let's try another one by Hart Bros…

Balmenach 13 yo 2008/2021 (55.3%, Hart Bros., Cask Strength, First Sherry Butt Filled)

So, if I understand them well, this is the first sherry butt they ever filled? Doubt it, ha… Colour: amber. Nose: love this metal polish, old copper coins, old tools, bay leaves, peonies, blood oranges, tomato leaves, ski wax… I am a fan, while I even forgot to mention walnuts. With water: good mud, dried flowers, more old tools, rain pit, walnut skins, and simply 'fine oloroso'. Boy do I need to get back to Jerez as soon as possible! Mouth (neat): really powerful, a little burnt, roasted, full of burnt nuts (including walnuts and chestnuts), and extremely oloroso-y. Tobacco leaf. With water: a lot of saponification going on and that soap would never really go away. Finish: rather long, mainly on walnuts and copper. Comments: you have the feeling that this is what you would get, should you decide to distil oloroso. Really worth a check.
SGP:361 - 82 points.

Back to reason…

Balmenach-Glenlivet 13 yo 2005/2018 (53.5%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 294 bottles)

Probably the same juice as that of the '55.2%' we've had just a few seconds, I mean, minutes ago. We're not expecting some utter revelation here… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: fresh croissants, dough, porridge, asparagus, grass, apple peel, lamp oil… With water: chalk, mud. That's it. Mouth (neat): grassy pastis, more apple peel, green pepper… Tough baby, bitter and grassy. With water: green peppercorns and lemon concentrate. Finish: long, pungent, extremely grassy. Comments: too tough and grassy for me. I hate to say that it might have needed a PX treatment. Or in some rustic cocktail…
SGP:371 - 77 points.

That's enough, but we'll have many more Balmenach very soon. Yep.

Check the index of all Balmenach we've tasted so far