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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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March 30, 2026 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
today natural Balvenie
We love drinking Balvenie, especially the refill or bourbon-cask versions, which are packed with quince and mirabelle plum notes. Let’s see what we’ve got… |
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Balvenie 1965 ‘Over Proof’ (2.0 over proof, Robert Watson of Aberdeen, 26 2/3 fluid ozs., +/-1975) 
An intriguing old bottle, ‘2.0 over proof’ meaning 102° proof UK, therefore 102*0,5715 = +/- 58,3 %. Colour: white as snow, or nearly. Nose: we simply cannot help thinking of the old ‘As We Get It’ bottlings by Macfarlane Bruce and Co, this is razor-sharp, certainly spirity even after fifty years in bottle, but elegant too, driven for now by green apple and equally green lemon. And of course, ta-da, quince and mirabelle plum. And, oh, bergamot. With water: magnificent woolly and chalky notes come through, very much in the style of a fine house’s Chablis. Mouth (neat): a blade of lemon. 90% pure lemon juice, 10% limoncello, 10% bergamot liqueur. I know. With water: it remains fairly simple, cuts you up a wee bit, but it is perfect and, oddly enough, not all that far from the best Rosebanks from the great days. Finish: long, still lemony, tart, and ultra-precise. A very slight metallic touch in the aftertaste, in the old style. Comments: this is almost Glen Chablis, really. We are talking grand cru territory. The texture is perfect too, this wee session starts very strongly.
SGP:661 - 90 points. |
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Sideburn 29 yo 1994-1996/2026 (53%, Decadent Drams, blended malt, refill hogsheads, 201 bottles) 
A marriage of two casks which, apparently, ought not to be terribly far apart from one another. Do remember that, in all likelihood, Sideburn = Burnside = Balvenie. Colour: gold. Nose: rounder, less cutting than the old Watson, but by no means deprived of bergamot, lemon or mirabelle plum, simply a little more honeyed (acacia) and with a little more apricot jam. In a way, it is a little closer to the official bottlings. With water: mirabelle tart covered with vanilla custard and sprinkled with lemon juice. Mouth (neat): we are finding Glen Chablis again, chalk, lemon, apple, greengage, also some fresh pollen and a tiny touch of vanilla, but with a great deal of restraint as the whole remains lively. With water: a little wood coming out, rather green tea-like, but it remains controlled and elegant. And besides, this wood goes very well with the lemon. Finish: medium in length, balanced, with nothing especially striking, but we do not need that. Comments: frankly, it has come through with more than honours after the magnificent 1965. We are very close indeed.
SGP:651 - 89 points. |
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Burnside 36 yo 1989/2025 (52.4%, C. Dully Selection, barrel, cask #2500682, 199 bottles)
Colour: straw, really very pale for a 36-year-old. Nose: typical, close to the DD, softer, a little more vanilla, leaning more towards apricot tart and mirabelle tart, with slightly more pronounced honeyed notes, yet always very gentle, plus a spoonful of multi-floral pollen. There are even whiffs of fresh barley. Did we mention quince? With water: light waxy notes, shoe polish, lanolin. Mouth (neat): much, and we do mean much livelier on the palate, lemony, packed with small cider apples, one almost wonders whether this baby was not raised in stainless steel. The other markers are there as well, bergamot, quince, mirabelles… Philosophically, it is closer to the Watson than to the Decadent Drams. With water: no change, it’s perhaps just a touch tarter. Finish: long, precise, sharp, lively, almost refreshing. This is not so common at 36 years of age. Comments: how splendid these B******es are!
SGP:661 - 89 points. |
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