Hunting for mirabelles


July 23, 2024

WF’s Little Duos, today hunting for mirabelles

So, Burnside, so, Balvenie, blended or not, only the official papers might know. We always enjoy tasting them, with their notes of mirabelle plum and quince that are so... well, Balvenie. Especially since these Burnsides have generally not undergone any finishing or in-cask blending with peated whisky, etc.

The picking of mirabelles, engraving, Art Deco, 1914

Burnside 28 yo 1994/2022 (48%, Whisky Age, blended malt, hogshead, cask #5135, 224 bottles)

A very charming little Beethoven by the artist MasonYin, which reminds me a bit of Sempé. Colour: white wine. Nose: pears, apples, mirabelles, and peaches at first, then quince, vanilla cream, and a slight earthy note of forest after the rain. One cannot help but think of white wine, indeed. Let’s say a southern Burgundy, like a Mâconnais. Very beautiful nose, simple and gentle. Mouth: perfect, rather taut, with white peach, greengages, quince, and lemon. Not much to add, it's a somewhat minimalist style and perhaps not very Beethovenian, but it’s very beautiful. Finish: medium length but with a vanilla that becomes more prominent. Then zest and cold green tea for a very refreshing finish. A tiny bit of salty liquorice, in the Dutch style, of which we could consume twelve kilos a day (if we didn't hold back). Comments: a little jewel of freshness and simple elegance. Ode to Joy, perhaps? All these 1994s are really very good.
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Sideburn 31 yo 1992+1993/2024 (51.3%, Whisky Sponge)

Sideburn 31 yo 1992+1993/2024 (51.3%, Whisky Sponge, 404 bottles)

Right, sideburn, so Burnside, got it? So, Balvenie. Colour: gold. Nose: we’re closer to Balvenie’s DNA, in truth, this could have been an official Balvenie of the same age, with all its attributes. Apricot tarte, tarte tatin, quince jelly, mirabelle jam, acacia honey, vanilla custard and all that. I need not say more. With water: notes of ‘a walk in the woods’, a drop of rainwater, some nougat, a tiny coconut ball, some broken branches, liquorice wood… Mouth (neat): creamy, with Earl Grey tea, rooibos tea, vanilla cream, cédrat liqueur, quince paste, green lemon juice (in tiny but noticeable quantities), a small piece of vanilla fudge… It’s funny, it’s rich and precise at the same time. With water: it’s a Balvenie truer than nature, with more white pepper and tea. And some tiny notes of sawdust and fresh vanilla (pods), then the quinces return with a few touches of fresh eau-de-vie, like kirsch. This time I don’t really find mirabelles, rather a bit of grated lemon zest and banana peel. Finish: a bit more herbal and with oolong tea. Grapefruit liqueur in the aftertaste. Comments: in the same league as the Whisky Age, perhaps just a tad more complex. Maybe that’s the multi-vintage ‘à la Sponge’ effect.
SGP:661 - 90 points.

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