An official Balmenach. I’ve never come across one so far. This 27 year-old 1973 vintage was released in 2000, a couple of years after Inver House bought the distillery from Diageo.
Nowadays it seems most of the production is used for blends. A significant part of their focus is on the Caorunn gin by the way.
Balmenach 27 yo 1973
(46%, OB 2000, 2150 btl.)
Balmenach 27 yo 1973Nose: lots of polished oak, furniture wax and tobacco. Dusty cellar. Underneath is a sweet fruity layer (berries and oranges) as well as some honey. A big malty core. A few leafy / vegetal notes, moss and hay. Not an easy nose, but certainly enjoyable.
Mouth: vivid and oily, with more sweet fruit now (apricot, orange, banana) and a dollop of caramel. Vanilla toffee. Cake. A whole series of herbs and spices: mint, cinnamon, soft pepper. All this held together with nice oak.
Finish: medium long, still a combination of sweetness (marzipan) and herbal notes.
A complex Balmenach, that’s quite wide and rather gentle at the same time. Needs some time to unfold, but certainly a nice dram. Nowadays around € 200.
Score: 88/100