Product description
At 77, David Stewart, master maltster of William Grant & Sons, continues to surprise with new variants of the Balvenie single malt.
His latest creation (2022) is a 16-year-old Balvenie French Oak finished in Pineau des Charentes barrels (a fortified wine made from unfermented grape juice with the addition of cognac eaux-de-vie and aged in French oak barrels for at least 18 months). The inspiration for this finish is Lorne Cousin, an American ambassador for the Balvenie brand, who, while traveling around Charentes, fell for the charms of the region, its people, and Pineau des Charentes, served locally as an aperitif. He convinced Master Stewart to use this type of barrel for the finishing maturation of Balvenie, and the result is, in our opinion, one of the more interesting Balvenie editions in recent years.
Aroma : floral-honey, geranium, jasmine, dry rose petals, grapefruit, apples, orange peel, vanilla, brown sugar, pine needles, light grassy and nutty notes.
Palate: honey, vanilla cream, milk chocolate, almond croissant, coconut flakes, grapefruit, lemon jam, candied ginger and a touch of oak.
Finish: quite long, honey-citrus, cantaloupe, orange, vanilla, a bit of fresh herbs and toasted oak.