The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 year old has been matured in traditional oak whisky casks for 14 years, before getting ‘finished’ in casks that were seasoned with a proprietary blend of Caribbean rums.
Its predecessor was called Cuban Selection but I suppose that was problematic for US sales.
The Balvenie 14 yo ‘Caribbean Cask’ (43%, OB +/- 2018, rum cask finish)
The Balvenie 14 yo ‘Caribbean Cask’ (43%, OB +/- 2018, rum cask finish)Nose: sweet, with buttery vanilla cake and yellow apples up front. Some creamy coconut, honey and toffee. Apricots and bananas. Golden raisins soaked in rum. Light leafy oak in the background. Rather fruity but I’m not getting the tropical notes that some seem to find here.
Mouth: again creamy and full-bodied, with pureed banana, apple and sugarcane juice. Now added hints of pineapple on syrup. Vanilla again, with sweet oak and cloves.
Finish: medium, oaky, on orange peel, vanilla and freshly sawn oak.
It feels slightly engineered but that’s the only real complaint. You have to like very sweet and creamy whisky though. Available from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt among others.
Score: 82/100