Balvenie Caribbean Cask Aged 14 Years Single Malt Scotch, 70cl

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There should be no surprise that I find this Balvenie to be INCREDIBLY sweet. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that The Caribbean Cask would fit in perfectly in your average bourbon tasting. If you’re a bourbon guy looking for something similar in the malt whisky world, look no further (well, I guess you could look slightly further to the Glenmorangie Nector D’or). I have to be in the mood for something this sweet. Still, this certainly has its place within the lineup of what continues to be my distillery of choice. Too bad that Pierce got more screen time, which also happened with Balvenie. Dryness wins barely, but just enough to earn under 80 points from me. Today I look at a side-by-side comparison of two releases from the Balvenie Distillery. The Balvenie Caribbean Cask vs Doublewood whisky. Comparing different distilleries side by side is fun, but I find that the most interesting comparisons are the ones between other releases from the same distillery. Rich with sweet notes of ripe mango, pineapple and guava, toffee, Christmas Cake and plump rum soaked raisins. Hints of floral notes and malt intermingling with oak come to mind. Hints of fudge and soft spices.

Balance: very nice overall balance. Rum sweetness goes well to balance Balvenie citrus. Score: 22/25Nose: Quite light. Sugarcane and under-ripe nectarine, then some unsalted butter intensifying with time. Overall clean and fresh, not spicy. The Balvenie Distillery is a Speyside distillery in the Convals in Dufftown, Scotland, owned by William Grant and Sons. William Grant started as a bookkeeper at Mortlach distillery 1866, where he learned the distilling trade. After about twenty years at the Mortlach, he bought a piece of land near Balvenie Castle. Palate: Pretty much what the nose led me to expect, with some toffee, cake, and peppery spices now in the mix. Like all the sweet, warm goodness of your corner bakery in a single mouthful. A long, chewy taste also brings out a touch of lime in the dead center of my tongue -- a nice refreshing touch of tartness that keeps things from becoming too syrupy-sweet. Finish is very smooth, with malt dominating and spices lingering. Not the slightest trace of bitterness in the entire experience. When it comes to food pairings for Balvenie Caribbean Cask and Doublewood, the possibilities are endless. A great pairing will bring out the best in both the whisky and the food, creating an unbeatable taste experience. Dark chocolate Cake Plus, this is a marvelous summer porch or summer balcony scotch. I can only imagine how it must be selling in the Deep South, at least in the more affluent cities down there, such as Miami and Key West (yeah yeah, I know those are "real" Southern cities, okay, how about New Orleans, no? then how about Charleston or Nashville? Bingo! Actually, I happen to be partial to Ashville; it's quite a bit like Portland, culturally speaking . . . well, maybe cranked down a few notches on the "weird scale").

Balvenie launched the Caribbean Cask 14 yo to mark the 50th anniversary of David Stewart joining the Balvenie distillery. It is part of the Balvenie core range. One of the more memorable finished whiskeys I tasted last year was The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Single Malt Scotch. The Balvenie is from Scotland’s Speyside region, which features the largest number of distilleries in the country. Speyside Scotches typically are unpeated, meaning they don’t burn peat to dry the barley in the malting process. The Balvenie distillery is unusual in the fact that they grow their own barley and use a traditional malting floor to germinate and dry the barley. They’ve been doing this since 1892 when the distillery was founded by William Grant.Sherry sweetness mixed with oak, honey and vanilla with mild nutmeg and cinnamon spice at the end. Bits of dried fruit and nuts. Not as complex as I expected. Medium body. The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask is bottled at 43%. A fairly unique whisky, it has spent atleast some time maturing in ex rum casks. How long is anyone’s guess, it isn’t mentioned on the bottle. This used to be a bit of a bargain in the UK, now not so much.