Batch 4 of the renowned Balvenie Tun 1509. The first batch was released in 2014, replacing the distillery’s popular Tun 1401 expression – batch #5 should be out this summer.
This batch is a vatting of 13 first-fill American oak barrels and 10 sherry butts (the youngest being 21 years of age) that were left to marry in the exceptionally big marrying vessel Tun 1509 for several months.
Balvenie ‘Tun 1509’
(51,7%, OB 2017, batch 4, 8850 btl.)
Nose: malty notes up front, with bright orange peel as well as some white oak. Tobacco leaf and leather. No sulphur in my sample, but light hints of iron. Vanilla biscuits and pear. Nutmeg. Wood shavings.
Mouth: a combination of juicy pears, kiwi and berries but also the sourness of wood, plus ginger and aniseed. Black pepper. Hints of pilsner. Hints of nougat in the background. Feels like a much younger whisky with a focus on ex-bourbon barrels.
Finish: medium, gingery and leathery, with sweet and sour berries.
I believe this is the least impressive of all the ‘Tun’ releases I’ve tried so far. It even feels like they wanted to get rid of a few woody casks. Not unpleasant, but hard to justify the asking price of € 325+. Sold out in most places anyway.
Score: 87/100