The Balvenie Portwood 21: A Special One

The Balvenie Portwood 21

Name: The Balvenie Portwood 21 Years Old
Distillery: Balvenie Distillery
Region: Speyside
Age Statement: 21 Years
Type: Single Malt
Alc/Vol: 40%

As the name suggests, The Balvenie 21 is, to me, considered a very special dram. In keeping with the time of being slightly reminiscent this week, I've decided to finally do a review on this whisky from The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown. As a Speyside whisky, one would expect that the whisky is rich and sweet with honey and spice, and that is actually what one does get with the Balvenie Signature and Doublewood. This whisky is, however, a very different more mild and flavourful dram.

Before I go into the review proper, I'd just to mention the special place The Balvenie has in my heart. Yes, my first dram was Glenmorangie, yes my first DFS buy was an Ardbeg, but the first whisky I really enjoyed was the Balvenie Signature. It not only triggered my passion for whisky, it even drove me to make the trip up to Dufftown to visit the Distillery. It was there that I found a whole host of other expressions which I thoroughly enjoyed too, maybe even more than the Signature. One of these expressions was none other than this 21 year old Portwood.

As the name suggests, this is a 21 year old whisky that has spent time finishing in Portwood Barrels, meaning barrels that had contained Port Wine. The result is an expression that is fruity and floral with the clear signs of a nice extended maturation period.

Nose: Light and pleasant. Lovely fruity and floral aromas like citrus, red dates and rose. Hints of honey and vanilla and the light spiciness reflect the effects of aging.

Taste/Palate: Slightly oily but very light and pleasant. Fruity and honied sweetness, before the really sweet malted barley notes give a really nice mouthfeel. Hints of oak with a light nuttiness reminiscent of roasted cashews.

Finish: Extremely sweet with hints of dried dates and rose syrup. What one would usually expect from a Port finish.

Overall: A Balvenie expression that is still and always will be one of my favourites. It is a well balanced and pleasant dram, which doesn't have overwhelming flavours. A nice sipping dram indeed! 90/100

Found at: La Maison Du Whisky, The Auld Alliance, Quiach Bar