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William Grant and Sons Ltd is an independent, family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky and other spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is run by Grant’s descendants as of 2018. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky distillers remaining in family ownership. The William Grant brands include: Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie, Grant’s, Monkey Shoulder, Aerstone, Clan MacGregor, Tullamore D.E.W.
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Today I look at a bottle I opened for to celebrate a special event; the Balvenie Triple Cask 16 year old single malt Scotch whisky. One of the best things for me about whisky is the opportunity to open it celebrate something special.

You create memories when you open a bottle to celebrate a special occasion. Months later, when you open up that bottle again, you are immediately reminded you of what you have achieved and celebrated.

I found this quote in Patrick Lindsay,’ book ‘It’s Never Too Late’. He says “Every new friend is a new adventure… …the start of more memories.” Such an apt quote. Especially for the adventure that is whisky and making memories.

And when you have an interesting bottle like the Balvenie Triple Cask 16 yo whisky to open and share, you know it will be a great adventure.

My child always says, “sharing is caring”. Mostly when I have some chocolate in my hand, but she is right. Sharing is caring, especially with whisky. After John’s trip to Dubai (the 3rd one this year), it was great to sit down and open this bottle of Balvenie Triple Cask 16 year old whisky.

We have been saving it for a while and was looking forward to something special. It was the perfect bottle to open after a busy week.

I have covered the Balvenie history plenty in some of my other blog posts, starting with the Balvenie Doublewood. It is one of my favourite distilleries, and I love The Balvenie Roasted Malt and The Balvenie Peated Cask release. The Balvenie Triple Cask range include a 12 year old and a 25 year old whisky.

The Balvenie Triple Cask 16 yo whisky is created by combining Balvenie whisky that has matured in the three most traditional types of cask – first-fill bourbon, refill bourbon and sherry – in a large wooden marrying tun before bottling.

Also Read: Aberlour A’bunadh whisky

The Balvenie Triple Cask 16 year old Whisky

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Light golden amber.

NOSE: Lots of toasted oak spices, chocolate covered dried pineapple, fresh banana and vanilla sweetness. All beautifully blended together to make a rich and complex nose. In the background, hints of dried grass, fruity sweetness and nuts.

PALATE: The first sip brings cinnamon and pepper spice. More than what I expected based on the nose. The second sip brings sun-dried pears, oak woodiness but very little of the sweetness that I expected based on the nose.

Faint hints of malt, honey and vanilla. The Balvenie Triple Cask 16 is oily with a medium body. The addition of water smoothes out the dram but increases the pepper bite. Not what I was expecting after the rich, complex nose.

FINISH: Medium length finish with notes of pepper, bits of citrus peel and tobacco.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I had hight hopes for this 16 year old single malt whisky. It is one of my favourite distilleries, and I have quite a few Balvenie’s in my collection. The best part of this Balvenie Triple Cask whisky is the nose. It is rich and complex and promises much pleasure.

However, the palate does not live up to the expectations and for a 16 year old disappointed me a little. Perhaps this release will grow on me if I try it again in a couple of months. It does keep on reminding me of an amazing achievement, the reason why I opened this bottle in the first place.

Also Read: Mackinlay’s The Enduring Spirit Whisky

The Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/01/2016

In Single Malt whisky

Today I am raising a glass to the Balvenie Malt Master, Davd Stewart, with the Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky. In honour of the Queen presenting him with a MBE medal.

This was in honour of his services to the Scotch whisky industry. He is the longest-serving Malt Master in the world. An amazing 54 years in the industry. What an amazing achievement!

David was born in 1945 in Ayr in Scotland and started his career at the Balvenie Distillery in 1962 on a 12-year apprenticeship, aged 17. He was appointed as Malt Master in 1974. David was one of the first people to experiment with cask finishes during the 1980s.

This experimentation led to a few of my favourite Balvenie expressions. Releases such as the Balvenie Doublewood, Balvenie Caribbean Cask, The Balvenie Roasted Malt and the Balvenie Portwood. The Balvenie distillery is part of the William Grant stable of brands.

Malt Master David Stewart

This week, in honour of this great man of whisky, we try the Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old whisky – another of his “experiments”. Released during 2010, the whisky was aged traditionally, to begin with, but finished in a cask that previously held peated whisky.

Back in 2001, The Balvenie did a heavily peated malt run that was then aged in ex-bourbon barrels. At some point, the spirit transferred out of the American Oak barrels and into new casks to continue its maturation.

It is into these now empty-cask that David poured some 17 year old Balvenie to see what would happen. To further enhance the whisky, David then blended it with some similarly aged Balvenie finished in new charred oak.

The result – the Balvenie Peated Cask release. Unfortunately, this was a limited release and is not available anymore.

Balvenie Single Malt Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd. Founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still an independent family-owned distiller run by his direct descendants.

Also Read: Macallan 15 year old whisky

The Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Liquid golden sunshine.

NOSE: Rich and creamy with very subtle hints of peat. There are notes of candied sweets and fresh fruit with hints of vanilla, cinnamon sugar and butterscotch sweetness.

PALATE: A riot of contrasting flavours. Initially, there are heaps of peat mixed with some smoke and ashy notes followed by spicy sweetness. The next layer has juicy fruitiness with bits of honey and cinnamon spice.

The Balvenie Peated Cask single malt has an interesting flavour development profile. The addition of water brings smoothness to the whisky and makes it easier to drink. It softens some of the ashy smoky and brings forward the sweetness.

FINISH: Long and lingering and warms you up from the inside. It ends in notes of smoky fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

This expression is certainly not the usual Balvenie style. It’s unusual and different. However, it does a fantastic job of standing out as something unique.

This peated expression will probably not appeal to traditional Balvenie lovers. It also has too little peat intensity for Islay lovers. However, this is a unique and interesting whisky, made by a man who is not scared to try something new. A whisky as unique and interesting as the man who created it – David Stewart.

Also Read: Kininvie 17 yo Whisky

Whisky and Brie Cheese

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/27/2016

In Whisky & Cheese

Whisky and brie cheese pairing header
After a relaxing holiday, 2016 started with new opportunities. And a chance to try out more whisky and cheese pairings. In December 2015, Checkers brought out a new cheese brochure, which I read from end to end. It had all kinds of amazing cheese ideas, and I kept it for further inspiration.

The front page had a picture of the cutest little Ile de France brie cheeses. You might say that brie cheese should not be described as cute, but when you see these little delicate Ile de France morsels, you would agree. They looked perfect for a whisky and brie cheese pairing experiment.

Brie cheese is one of the best known French cheeses and a staple on cheese boards worldwide. It is soft cow milk cheese named after the French Brie region, where it was first produced.

After shaping and draining, the cheese is taken out, salted and inoculated with mould and then aged for at least four weeks. It has a bloomy rind, and the flavour has creamy and hazelnut butter notes. Brie has hints of sweet fruit and a slightly tangy and earthy after taste.

The Ile de France brie cheese was slightly saltier compared to the locally produced brie’s. It however created a wonderful contrast with the whisky. It is best to serve brie at room temperature.

I tried various whisky pairings with this brie below are my results:

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Glen Grant Major Reserve Whisky and Brie Cheese

Brie cheese Glen Grant Majors Reserve single malt whisky pairing
I first tried the Glen Grant Major Reserve single malt whisky at the Whisky Life Festival during 2015 and loved it. With its heaps of spicy notes, this fruity whisky is a firm favourite and worked wonderfully with the salty brie cheese.

The Glen Grant whisky’s apple notes made the cheese sweeter and creamier, and the Brie smoothed out the spicy notes in the whisky. It is a wonderful balance between sweet and salty. I give the Glen Grant Major Reserve whisky and brie cheese pairing a Rating: 4/5

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Whisky and Brie Cheese

Brie cheese Balvenie Caribbean Cask single malt whisky pairing
Looking back, I have tried quite a few cheese pairings with this Balvenie Caribbean Cask whisky. The tropical fruit and vanilla notes from the Scotch seem to pair nicely with softer cheeses. It is robust enough to stand up to the cheese’s earthy tangy character but soft and smooth enough not to overwhelm it.

The combination is creamy smooth and rich, and you don’t want the experience to finish. I give this Balvenie Caribbean Cask single malt whisky and brie cheese pairing a Rating: 4/5

The Black Grouse whisky and Brie Cheese

Brie cheese Black Grouse blended whisky pairing
One of my favourite peaty blends was up next. The Black Grouse whisky with its mild peat, smoke and caramel notes, is a favourite when eating Indian food. But it is also gentle enough to go with these small morsels of cheese perfection.

The creaminess in the brie smooths out the peaty notes, and the cheese becomes more creamy and rich. I give the Black Grouse blended whisky and brie cheese pairing a Rating: 3,5/5

I tried the cheese with the Glenlivet 12 year old, and it worked well. A pairing with a Grant Sherry cask and a Tullibardine Sauternes Cask, however, did not work so well. Have you tried this soft cheese paired with whisky yet?

Related Article: Camembert cheese and whisky

Grant’s Sherry Cask Edition Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/28/2015

In Blended whisky

I have quite a few bottles from William Grant & Sons. My whisky collection started with a bottle or two from The Balvenie, and I added some Glenfiddich as I went along. Monkey Shoulder blended malt whisky is a favourite, and I was delighted to get my hands on a Kininvie 17 yo. All these brands are part of the William Grant stable.

Looking over our collection, I realized that there was still a piece missing. I did not have anything from Grant’s brand of blended whisky. I added a bottle of the Grant’s Sherry Cask Edition blended Scotch whisky to my collection.

William Grant lived in Dufftown, in the heart of Speyside. He went to father not only seven sons and two daughters but also some of the worlds best know Scottish whisky brands.

William Grant & Sons Ltd. is an independent, family-owned company. W Grant & Sons Ltd own the following distilleries:

Glenfiddich Distillery
Balvenie Distillery
Girvan Grain Distillery
Kininvie Distillery (1990-2010)
Ailsa Bay Distillery

In 1957 Grant’s unveiled the now iconic, triangular bottle. It is still released in this triangular bottle. The Spanish Olorosso sherry casks are hand-picked before being filled with aged Grant’s blended whisky. It is then finished for 4 months to acquire a rich flavour.

Related Article: Ballantine’s 12 yo whisky

Grant’s Sherry Cask Edition Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Light golden with hints of green

NOSE: Sherry sweetness right out of the bottle with hints of raisins. Not a very complex nose. There are delicate hints of oak ad grape jam. Adding a bit of water takes some of the sweetness from the nose.

PALATE: Without water, the palate has some sweet notes, but after adding a bit of water, the sweetness gives way to more spicy notes. There are notes of condensed milk and stewed prunes. Grant’s Sherry cask is not a big mouthful but pleasant and more robust than the nose hinted. Water releases more spicy pepper notes but also more citrus notes.

FINISH: Long and lingering but end in notes of bitter orange and dried fruit.

RATING: VERY GOOD

As this is a blend of some of my favourite distilleries, I was expecting a big, bold, interesting whisky. Unfortunately, I was left a bit disappointed at the lack of complexity and depth in this dram.

The Grant’s is not a bad whisky by any means; and at a great price point. I will explore more from this blended whisky when I get the chance. It retails for around R250 in South Africa.

Just not as good as the single malts. What did you think of this release?

Also Read: The Famous Grouse whisky

Whisky and Camembert Cheese Pairing

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/26/2015

In Whisky & Cheese

Whisky and camembert cheese pairing header
I love my regular whisky and cheese pairing sessions. It usually takes place on a Saturday afternoon, and I try a broad range of whiskies with interesting cheeses. Many of the whiskies in my collection are limited editions and not readily available, and this makes our tastings exciting but also challenging.

To allow more people to try these pairings, I also try to find a whisky and cheese pairing readily available in South Africa. This past week we bought a Fairview Camembert cheese.

Fairview traditionally was a wine farm in the Paarl area in the Western Cape. After a trip to France, the owners fell in love with the creamy flavoured cheese produced on the wine farms. Upon their returning, they began investigating the possibility of starting their own cheesery. Fairview has won many international and local awards for its cheeses.

Camembert is a popular cheese in South Africa and a frequent addition to cheese boards. This Camembert cheese is made according to a traditional recipe. Camembert is a soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow’s milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century at Camembert, Normandy, in northern France.

Fresh Camembert cheese is bland, hard and crumbly in texture. As the cheese matures, it forms a smooth, runny interior and a white bloomy rind. The cheese ripens from the outside towards the centre. It has a rich buttery mushroom flavour. A fungus, called penicillium candidum, is responsible for turning the rind bloomy white.

It was not an easy cheese to pair. I tried many different combinations before finding a few whisky pairings that worked. In the end, I found 3 pairings I truly liked.

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Whisky and Camembert Cheese Pairing

Ballantine’s Finest Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing Ballantine's finest whisky
Ballantine’s Finest whisky has quickly become one of my favourite blended whiskies. This whisky is smooth and filled with notes of Christmas cake, dried fruit, peat and muscovado sugar. Paired with the Fairview Camembert cheese it makes an amazing (and affordable) combination.

Both the whisky and Camembert cheese become smoother and richer. The richness of the Camembert cheese enhances the delicious complexity of the Ballantine’s whisky and works well with the floral notes. The Ballantine’s whisky cut through the buttery richness of the Camembert cheese, and makes it more decadent. I give this pairing a Rating: 4/5.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing Bains whisky
The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington is not too far from Paarl where Fairview is situated. I had to try a Western Cape cheese with a Western Cape whisky, and this pairing surprised me. My tasting notes for the Bain’s whisky included sweet hints of toffee, banana and vanilla. There were cloves and cinnamon with bits of oak intermingling with treacle notes.

Again an affordable pairing which surprised me. The sweetness and spice of the Bain’s whisky enhanced the Camembert cheese’s earthy notes. The richness of the cheese softens with the Bain’s, and you want to try the combination again and again. I give this pairing a Rating: 4/5.

Balvenie Caribbean Cask Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing Balvenie 14 yo caribbean Cask whisky
A bit of desktop research indicated that Balvenie whisky might pair well with a piece of Camembert cheese. I decided to try the Balvenie Caribbean Cask whisky. It is part of the Balvenie core range and readily available. The official tasting notes for this dram include rich tropical fruits and creamy toffee. Sweet vanilla, apples and sweet oak notes.

Again, what a great combination. The creaminess of the cheese enhances the complexity of the Balvenie Caribbean Cask whisky. The mushroom notes enrich the notes of fruit, spice and wood. The Balvenie Caribbean Cask makes the Camembert milkier and cuts through some of the richness. This pairing gets a Rating: 4/5.

Glenfiddich 12 year old Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing glenfiddich 12 yo
I also tried the Fairview Camembert with the Glenfiddich 12 year old whisky. My tasting notes for the Glenfiddich 12 year old is captured here. This pairing was not as good as the ones listed above. I gave this a Rating 3/5.

As part of the experiment, I also tried this Fairview Camembert cheese with a Singleton 12 year old whisky, the Three Ships 5 year old and a Glenfarclas 12 year old whisky. None of these combinations worked well. They all get a Rating: 1/5.

What is your favourite whisky to pair with Camembert cheese?

Also Read: Peaty whisky and blue cheese