Still expertly selected by David Stewart, eighteen of the finest casks from The Balvenie warehouses went into Tun 1509 Batch #8. Some were refill sherry butts – others classic ex-bourbon barrels. As always they were married together one of the large oak marrying vessel that sit in Warehouse 24.
Balvenie Tun 1509 (52,2%, OB 2022, Batch #8)
Nose: starts on bright citrus, like lemon tartlets and grapefruit juice, alongside nicely polished oak. It reminds me of a very old cognac with elegant rancio notes. Later vanilla cake, marmalade and hints of toffee come out. Golden raisins, subtle coconut and whiffs of pine needles too.
Mouth: honeyed onset, evolving towards tangerine, tinned pineapple and apricots, as well as some sweet almond paste. Creamy, buttery vanilla from the bourbon casks, mixed with some caramelized toffee notes and oak spice from the sherry. Peppery notes grow stronger, later also a few floral notes and herbal tea.
Finish: rather long, with a faint bitter hint of oak char, gingerbread, thyme, vanilla and wood.
One of the nicer batches of Tun 1509 I’ve had, definitely up from Tun 1509 Batch 6. Really elegant, with a great balance between bourbon and sherry casks. The Whisky Exchange is still selling samples. In other countries you can still find full bottles as well.