The Balvenie Thirty is a 30-year-old single malt Scotch whisky made at The Balvenie Distillery in Speyside, Scotland. It is crafted by marrying American oak casks with European oak sherry casks that have been matured for over three decades. The whisky is bottled at 47.3% ABV and retails for several thousand dollars.
I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a bad Balvenie, but I’ve never been blown away by one either. Overall this is very balanced, soft whisky (feminine?), yet not very complex . This bottle costs around € 400 and that’s difficult to justify.
Drinking this blind, the nose initially led me to think it was a Benrinnes. However, as soon as I tasted it, I knew that I was way off the mark and the familiar flavor of the Balvenie started to shine through.
