Maltbarn Balmenach 2002
$369.99
Sadly, there is no such thing as a Balmenach official bottling. Even indies are few and far between. Shame, really, as some Balmenach we've met have been damn good. This Maltbarn Balmenach spent 19 years in ex-Bourbon, before being bottled at 19 years of age. Outturn of 160 bottles.
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 55.0% abv.
Compass Box Art & Decadence
$209.99
This is an unusual Compass Box bottling, composed primarily of whiskies matured in wine and sherry casks. Three parcels of 15 year old Balmenach matured in ex-Sauternes, Madeira, and Marsala Casks, have been blended with 22 year old Port Dundas and 12 year old Glen Moray both from sherry. A dash of young Linkwood and a Blended Scotch parcel round things out. 49%.
Producer Description
"Oscar Wilde wrote that “we live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities”. The age in question was the late nineteenth century, when the Aesthetic Movement gave rise to the Decadent Movement, where more was always more. Art was made for the sake of art; there were no ulterior motives. Similarly, a whisky like Art & Decadence may not be strictly a necessity – and that is the whole, glorious point.
"Art & Decadence is built on malt whisky from the Balmenach Distillery, finished separately for almost a year in not one but three different ex-wine casks. Madeira, Sauternes and Marsala are all at home with dessert, and they bring succulence, preserved fruit notes and honeyed character to the underlying meaty sweetness of Balmenach. To this, we have layered in malt whisky from the Linkwood Distillery, aged in Palo Cortado sherry-seasoned butts, and malt whisky from the Glen Moray Distillery, finished in Oloroso sherry-seasoned butts. Grain whisky from the now-closed Port Dundas Distillery adds silk and gloss."
SMWS 48.RR - TAWNY GARIBALDI
$204.99
DISTILLERY 48 RARE RELEASE TAWNY GARIBALDI
This 14 year old Speysider from a selection of refill and 1st fill bourbon and Pedro Ximenez hogsheads comes in at 49.8%.
Flavour profile: Deep, rich & dried fruits
Distilled on: 11 December 2008
Outturn: 880 bottles
SMWS 48.171 BERRYLICIOUS
$201.99
BERRYLICIOUS
This 15 year old Speysider spent 12 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a 2nd fill high-lactone barrique with toasted heads, and has an abv of 52.9%.
Flavour profile: Juicy, oak & vanilla
Distilled on: 11 December 2008
Outturn: 239 bottles
G&M CC Balmenach 2008 Whisky Exp Cask
$177.99
Balmenach Distillery was founded in 1824 and resides in the Highlands. This single cask of Balmenach was matured and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. It was distilled in 2008 and bottled after 14 Years maturing in a first fill sherry hogshead at 62.6%. 327 bottles were filled in total for The Whisky Explorer Society.
SCN Balmenach 11 Year
$141.99
This Single Cask Nation Balmenach was produced in 2013 and matured 11 years in a 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel before bottling at 59.2%.
Caorunn Gin
$54.99
Caorunn "is a perfectly balanced, super-premium small batch Scottish gin, infused with hand-picked botanicals, inspired by Celtic tradition," according to the team behind it. It's a super-smooth blend of rowan berry, heather, bog myrtle, dandelion and coul blush apple. Delicious!