The Balvenie (emphasis on ‘ve’, not on ‘bal’) is part of the William Grant group which also owns Glenfiddich and the new Kininvie distillery.
Normally the 10y Founder’s Reserve is bottled at 40% but in France (and apparently also in Belgian tax free shops, where I bought my bottle) there is a 43% edition.
The Balvenie 10y Founder’s Reserve
(43%, OB 2006)
Nose: peach, orange, some pineapple. Really fruity. Sweet honey. After a while: burnt caramel with a very light hint of peat smoke.
Mouth: medium-bodied and sweet. Honey again, with vanilla. Not really punchy, so I wonder what the 40% would be like…
Finish: enough punch after all. Very warming, perfect sweetness. Demarara sugar. Smooth aftertaste with wonderful complexity.
This one has a great finish. The mouth-feel is a bit weak though, even at the higher strength. Still one of the best standard 10-year-olds you can buy. Or better: you could buy… it’s a shame that they’ve decided to discontinue it a few months ago.
Score: 83/100.