Balmenach 12 Year (Single Cask Nation)

 

Balmenach is a distillery whose profile seems to be rising fairly quickly with hardcore whisky fans - owned by Inver House, who also own Balblair, anCnoc, Old Pulteney, and Speyburn. I really miss the old anCnoc peated expressions that came out about a decade ago - The Cutter and so forth. But, on the other hand, Old Pulteney can't seem to get out of its own way and has poor quality releases for fairly insane prices these days.

Balmenach is known for the heft and brawn of its spirit, which most people credit to the use of worm tub condensers. I have had some not great experiences with Balmenach from some single cask releases I bought from the SMWS - all the bottles had a chemical mint note that I've never tasted anywhere else and couldn't stand. But I trust Single Cask Nation, and mint was mentioned nowhere in their tasting notes, so I gave this bottle a fly. 

Speaking of the tasting notes, here is the SCN flav-o-meter: 

So far, so good; seems very balanced! And here are the more verbose tasting notes: 

NOSE: A complex, fully integrated nose that leads with sweet, rich malt up front followed by notes of bright Granny Smith apples, zesty orange peels, delicate oak spice.

PALATE: A hefty, weighty palate with more malt and more orange peel but with additional notes of oatcakes, Honey Grahams, toasted Macadamia nuts, and a touch of vanilla bean.

FINISH: Moderate to long with a focus on the savory elements, still malty.

Also interesting! I confess I'm curious. SCN has been raving about this on their podcasts, so let's see if it holds up. Here we go: 

Nose: What a wonderful, surprising nose on this... the words that came to me first were "beautiful, complex, elegant." It's a little bit muted - it doesn't exactly fill the room when you pop the cork - but in the restraint is a lot of really nice things. Not bad for a 12 year whisky.

 
I get caramel apple, barley sugar, hay, fresh grass, fresh-cut flowers, maraschino cherries, Nilla wafers. 

Very farmy and rural, reminds me of a very heavy-textured Linkwood, in a way. The worm tubs here are really earning their keep - the texture is so thick you can scent it right on the nose. 

Mouthfeel: Strangely it's both heavy yet also rather silky. Very chewy. Enormous texture that really accumulates in your mouth. 

Palate: First, a big wave of alcohol sweeps through your mouth. That 58.9% really announces itself! 

Then... barley, more citrus than the nose might suggest, in the form of Mandarin oranges. After that I get fresh flowers in potting soil, chocolate, oats, and a surprising nuttiness. Maybe Macadamia nuts, sure. 

There is also a certain clay/chalk element here, especially on the back end into the finish, which I find quite intriguing. 

Finish: Black tea, orange slices, chocolate, and a lingering nuttiness. The chalk and clay thing tends to dominate here, which is a shame. Rather short but entirely pleasant nose. 

Verdict: For whatever reason, all the Balmenach bottles I tried via the SMWS were brimming with a metallic/chemical mint note I really didn't care for. This bottle has none of that, and I'm very glad for it. 

And yet, I don't love it. I feel the dimensions here don't have a lot of depth, and that odd clay/chalk note tends to take over and strip a lot of the flavor from the finish. 

This is a whisky that does best in tiny sips that burst across the tongue, perhaps with some meat and cheese where you can offset the odd chalky flavor.