Balmenach 1979 (Sansibar)

Another rare oldie brought to us by Sansibar. There seem to be different strengths and bottle amounts on the internet for this Balmenach 1979. I can only tell you what’s on the label.

Balmenach 35 yo 1979 (53,4%, Sansibar 2014, bourbon cask, 127 btl.)

Nose: dry and herbal, with lots of forest associations. Dried flowers, moss and leafy notes. A proud nose but a little unsexy, although there’s a subtle fruity side of yellow apple and overripe banana. A little chalk, as well as milky cereals. Last but not least: a nice, dry layer of 35 years old dust.

Mouth: thick and sweet, slightly milky / creamy again. The grassy notes are back, some grapefruit skin, apples… Dried coconut flakes. A good deal of old oak, with pepper and nutmeg coming along. A very subtle hint of sweet coffee. I’m missing a bit of fruits here, but they do get stronger when you add a bit of water.

Finish: long, oaky, zesty, grassy and spicy. You can’t blame this one a lack of punch.

I really like the old-style charm on the nose, but on the palate it does start to show its lengthy time in wood. Slightly shy on the fruits. Around € 210.

Score: 88/100