Balvenie Portwood 21

Happy International Scotch Day ! I meant to write a bit more about whisky in 2018, a way to force myself to learn beyond what I already know about whisky. This seems to be a good opportunity to kick off. .

My whisky journey actually started with Ardbeg quite a few years ago, it totally threw me off with its big, peaty and smoky profile. I went to Japanese whisky instead, explored bourbon and rye, one time I owned more than 35+ bottles. Slowly, I have been back to the state where I appreciate different profiles: Scotch, Japanese, American to Canadian. A whisky with a medium to long finish, tailing away gracefully can win my heart easily.

So here is Balvenie Portwood 21 Years old, a bottle I collected before the holiday. As its name indicates, it is finished in 30 year old port cask (or pipe which holds 3-4 times of a single barrel). It is considered one of the best from Master Blender David Stewart. Something really unique about Balvenie is that they grow their own barley and have their own malting floor which is not very common nowadays. It has a pretty wide range of casks from sherry, burbon, port to rum. While Macallan, another Speyside whisky is known for sherry cask, this port one from Belvenie stands out.

Raisin on the nose with fruity profile, the taste is firm and aromatic, honey and puff of smoke. Gentle, long finish with a hint of bitterness. Overall, it is one of most silky smooth whisky, full of smoldering sensuality, that is meant to be shared on a fine afternoon.