Here is a whisky that only hit the shelves in fall of 2010 (which explains why I hadn't been exposed to it until recently): The Balvenie Caribbean Cask. My whisky-loving bartender demanded I try this a few weeks back but it sounded so interesting that I had to put it off until I could take the time to fully appreciate it, I had been 'reviewing' for a while already. I was familiar with The Balvenie Double Wood and the Balvenie 15 (both of which will eventually be featured in the Review). Caribbean Cask excluded, Balvenie offers another 8 different expressions, for a total of 11.
The Balvenie distillery is located in Dufftown in the Speyside region of Scotland. You're pretty likely to spot the Double Wood on pub shelves around town so you may already be familiar with the brand name. The Caribbean Cask is 14 year old whisky that has been aged in American Oak barrels. After that, it is transferred into casks which have been seasoned with Indian rum to finish, hence the clever name. Sounds delightful.
The color of the whisky is medium-light amber with very light legs. The nose is incredibly smooth, a sign of good things to come. I could detect the influence of the rum but it was not overpowering, nor did it overwhelm the aroma of the rest of the whisky. It was merely present; at the perfect level of subtlety. In addition to the rum, the whisky smelled fruity and sweet. Without any burn it was tempting to sit there and nose it forever but alas, duty called. The whisky has a light mouth feel but there was a slight thickness to it that caught me off guard, another plus. The palate is very smooth; like the nose, it had no burn to it. I can taste the influence of the rum but as it was with the nose, it is in perfect proportion to the rest of the flavor. The taste, for the most part, reflected the nose in flavor. This whisky tasted fruity with a hint of vanilla, a vanilla which also hinted at in the nose. The lingering aftertaste was pleasant, subtle, and it was here that I was able to detect the rum more than any other part of the tasting.
Rating: 4.5 out of a possible 5 Casks.
Reason: I love a smooth, delicious whisky; The Balvenie Caribbean Cask met those qualifications well. I really enjoyed this whisky and the rum influence is a great touch. It may sound off-putting, rum with whisky, but I can assure you that even though I don't regularly drink rum I really enjoyed this. The cost is an added bonus; a bottle goes for about $60-$65 dollars and a glass around $9. This is not only the weekend recommendation; it is a recommendation to get a bottle of this on the shelf of your home bar. I think you'll be happy you did.
Until next time, enjoy your whisky!
Cheers,
Charles
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