Balmenach is a very old distillery, founded in 1824 (as "Balminoch") by James McGregor (a known smuggler, which was a surprisingly common profession back then). It's currently owned by Inver House, who also owns Speyburn, Knockdhu/anCnoc, Old Pulteney, and Balblair. Balmenach is commonly used in blends like Crabbie's.
It was one of the very first distilleries sanctioned by the Excise Act of 1823; if you want more data on that, please consult Charlie MacLean's fantastic book "Malt Whisky" - I just finished it, and it's fantastic.
First off, thanks to Rob Martin for the last two drams out of the bottle. This is a single cask release from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). Here are the official tasting notes from the SMWS:
A bright and fresh nose full of stone fruits, torn mint leaf, chewy toffee and foam bananas. Playful, vivid and enticing. Some green apples, tinned peaches, pineapple cubes and hints of clove and tree bark added richness. Some water brought milk chocolate and orange travel sweets. Candied hazelnuts, warm custard and some poached rhubarb with brown sugar. The palate when neat was full of strawberries and meringue, tutti frutti and coconut milk with apricots. Water brought pecans and maple swirl ice cream, orange blossom, a hint of lavender and porridge laced with gooseberry jam.
Well, I have had a single cask of Balmenach before, and I will report that it was full to brimming with mint and chocolate. That happens to be my single least favorite flavor combination (I know, I know, I'm a mutant). I would rather taste something that combined tobacco and mulch. Old mulch.
You may wonder at the nickname: "Worm Tub Stodge." A worm tub (aka "worm tank") is a special cooling device used during the distilling process - and an increasingly rare one, as science has created more efficient methods. In ye days of olde, they were made by artisans (often illicitly) and considered very, very valuable. That link contains a picture of an actual worm tub at Balmenach!
Basically a long, thinning series of copper tubing that is snaked in a coil through a tub of cool water, only 14 distilleries still use them: "Benrinnes, Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Edradour, Glen Elgin, Glenkinchie, Mortlach, Oban, Pulteney, Royal Lochnagar, Speyburn and Talisker on Skye.
Springbank uses worm tubs on their wash still only." Thanks to malt-whisky-madness.com for the info!Meanwhile, "stodge" is heavy, filling fare - explicitly high-carb food. So I would presume the idea is a heavy spirit here, created from the worm tub's abilities.
Aged for a brief 7 years (how young this is!) in a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel, this was bottled at a nice even 60.0% ABV. Let's see how Balmenach fares:
Nose: Yes, mint is here. But it's less prevalent than in the last bottle I had, "Trekking Through the Jungle." This does, indeed, come across as very heavy and meaty on the nose - although it is a bit shy at first, and takes time to unwind. I get applesauce and mashed pear, sulfur, mulch (ha! not even kidding) or moss, and burnt molasses sweetness.
With water I get malted barley, dusty old rooms, and a thick sweetness like overbaked sugar cookies. Thankfully (for me), the mint recedes.
Mouthfeel: Medium-to-chewy.
Palate: Ah, no... chocolate and mint! Dammit. Well, for anyone who likes mentholated dark chocolate, this is your lucky day. I get a lot of alcohol burn, as well. Some undefined red fruits, but the mint really takes over for me. I must be especially sensitive to mint flavoring?
With water, the mint drops back a bit and other more savory herbs come forward ... until the cooling menthol effect returns, anyway.
Finish: Medium length finish consisting of drying oak tannins, moss, and charry flavors. Interesting - perhaps my favorite part of the experience.
Verdict: If you like mint and chocolate, you will like this. I don't, and I didn't. But I recognize that is my fault, and not anything to pin on the Balmenach. I will note that a heavy herbal mint flavor seems to be a signature of Balmenach's spirit - based on previous experience and current experience, anyway. It's fascinating, but not for me. Your mileage may vary.
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