Balvenie-Glenlivet 1974 29 Years Cadenhead

DESCRIPTION

Balvenie-Glenlivet 1974 29 Years Cadenhead, one of the very very few independently bottled Balvenie's available and what a corker, A single 1974 cask bottled back in 2004 at just under 30 years old

TASTING NOTES (by Whiskyfun.com)

Indie Balvenies are quite rare and again, it’s Cadenhead who managed to get some (as well as Glenfiddichs). Colour: gold. Nose: rather punchy at first but still smooth, starting with the usual notes of honey, mirabelle jam and yellow flowers form the fields. Perhaps jus a little less rounded than the old OB’s, and maybe a tad smokier. Hints of gravy, balsamic vinegar. Gets a little toffeeish, with also quite some vanilla crème, chantilly, pastries… Notes of dry white wine (Chablis), cold smoke, butter… Very complex and remarkably balanced.

Balvenie-Glenlivet 29yo 1974/2004 (48%, Cadenhead, bourbon, 180 bottles)
Mouth: sweet and rounded but still quite nervous, starting on icing sugar and candied fruits (pears, apricots) and ripe melon, bananas, sweet white wine this time (from the Loire valley, like Quarts de Chaume). Some nice white pepper to keep it playful… It gets then quite tannic, but the tannins are of the silky, kind and very rummy, unexpectedly. Sultanas. The finish is long, sweet and slightly drying at the same time, with quite some liquorice… A superb old Balvenie, in any case, probably at its peek. 91 points.

PRODUCT SUMMARY