Balvenie 15 yo, Single Barrel Sherry #2805, 47,8%

Review #555

Single Barrel Sherry was introduced in 2014 and is fully matured in a Sherry cask. They are released in batches no larger than 650 bottles. This is bottle no 182 from cask no 2805. Leather, tobacco and dried fruits in the smell. What a treat! Overripe plums, raisins and figs, yet very sweet. Dried fruit sweetness.

The dark fruity notes immediately fills your mouth. The taste is full of dried fruits and just a hint of tannins. The tobacco leaves comes forward in the finish. It is actually incredible sweet. Not in the sugary-vanilla-way, but in the sweet dark-fruit-dessert kind of way.

Balvenie clearly knows what Sherry casks to pick for these 15 year old “Single Barrels”. It has all the key elements you want in a Sherry matured whisky. I can only imagine how great this would be at cask strength! I will give 89/100 (23/22/22/22).