One of the first bottles that started my whisky collection all those years ago was the Balvenie Portwood 1993 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky. It started not only my collection but also my love affair with the Balvenie distillery.
In the past, I often blogged about one of my favourite distilleries and have 12 different Balvenie releases.I have captured my tasting notes on the Balvenie Single Barrel whisky here.
The Balvenie Portwood is one of our favourite releases of this distillery. The Balvenie distillery is located in Speyside, Scotland and has been around since 1892.
Related Article: The Balvenie Peated Cask whisky
The distillery was founded by William Grant, who learnt his trade at Mortlach distillery. The Balvenie lies just below the Glenfiddich distillery, sharing its water source, the Robbie Dhu springs. Despite sharing the water, the Balvenie character is very different from Glenfiddich‘s more nutty, fruitier taste.
The 1993 Balvenie Portwood single malt expression has sadly been retired, and Balvenie only releases the Balvenie Portwood 21 yo as part of their core range. To create this single malt, the whisky was matured in traditional oak casks and then transferred for a last period of maturation to port pipes.
REGION: Speyside
ABV: 43%
COLOUR: A light amber. It is a medium oily spirit in the glass.
NOSE: Soft juicy raisins, honey, vanilla and spice. In the background, there is oak and butterscotch. Wafts of nuts float around, intermingling with the sweetness.
PALATE: Superb. The Balvenie Portwood has a changing dynamic palate. It is initially sweet and spicy but builds with oak, warming the soul. This is the perfect whisky to enjoy in winter. It is smooth with a pepper and cinnamon bite. All of this without water.
The addition of water took away some of the sweetness and enhanced the wood. Bits of creamy honey and winter fruit floated in the background. The Portwood is a medium-bodied whisky. It is nice and complex.
FINISH: The finish warms the soul for a long time. The finish ends in notes of leather and nuts.
RATING: EXCELLENT
If you can get your hands on a bottle, grab it! You will not be disappointed. I also tried this Balvenie Portwood whisky with a white rock cheese pairing, and it made a great pairing. The Portwood brings out the fruitiness of the cheese. The White Rock cheese enriches the port in the whisky and almost makes the whisky sweeter. One of my favourite distilleries.
Also read: The Balvenie Roasted Malt whisky
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