Premium Scotch whisky brand, The Balvenie showcased some of its finest whiskies last Thursday in preparation for the launch of The Balvenie’s Craft Bar in Melbourne this week.
Global brand ambassador, ‘Dr Whisky’ Samuel J Simmons, PhD flew out from London for the occasion, and kicked off his tour with a tasting of distilleries finest drops at Matt Moran’s Chiswick restaurant in Sydney.
As an avid lover of Scotch, Simmons is renowned for his writings and teachings on Scotch whisky history. Simmons has held the position of global brand ambassador since 2010, and is regularly asked to sit on some of the most prestigious judging panels in the industry including the Best in Glass (BiG) Awards and The International wine and Spirits Competition.
The whiskies sampled included during the night included
- The Balvenie, 12 year old DoubleWood which is matured in two wood types, first a traditional oak whisky cask, then transferred to a first fill European oak sherry cask, delivering sweet fruit and sherry notes, with layers of honey and vanilla.
- The Balvenie 15 year old Single Barrel: matured in a single traditional oak whisky cask which delivers honey, vanilla and oaky notes. Being a single barrel, each bottling forms a limited edition of no more than 350 hand-numbered bottles.
- The Balvenie 17 year old DoubleWood: first matured in American oak barrels then transferred to oak sherry casks. The 17 year old delivers tasting notes of vanilla, green apple, creamy toffee, honey and elegant yet complex oak.
- The Balvenie 21 year old PortWood is transferred into either port casks or pipes which have held premium port wines. The tasting notes of fruit, honey and spice notes are followed by a long, gentle and nutty finish.
- The Balvanie 30 year old is a rich mellow whisky which delivers unusual depth and complexity. Matured in both traditional oak whisky casks and European oak sherry casks, the 30 year old delivers tasting notes of rich dark chocolate, hints of plum, marzipan and caramelised pear.
In addition, Simmons brought with him a 40 year old, 1973 single cask whisky which is not available commercially. The 40 year was a robust whisky with tasting notes of dried fruits and spicy cloves.
The Balvenie’s Craft Bar will run from the 11th of November through to the 14th.