Balvenie 17 Single Malt Years Cask

Overview

The Balvenie 17 Years Single Cask is a premium single malt Scotch whisky from The Balvenie distillery in Speyside, selected from an individual cask to showcase unique maturation influences. These rare releases embody the distillery's tradition of hands-on craftsmanship, offering batch-specific character beyond standard expressions.

Specs at a glance

Good to know

The Balvenie, established in 1893, maintains traditional floor malting and cooperage on-site, which informs its lush, textured profile across the range. Single cask bottlings like this 17-year expression capture the variability of oak influence, from refill hogsheads to sherry or bourbon styles.

Tasting notes

• Nose: Pronounced honey and orchard fruits, with emerging vanilla oak and subtle spice from extended cask contact.
• Palate: Rich toffee and dried apricot lead, balanced by malt sweetness, gentle cinnamon, and layers of polished wood tannins.
• Finish: Lingering warmth with fading fruit and oak resin, medium to long.

Notable details

• Production: Floor-malted barley, traditionally distilled, matured in a single ex-bourbon or sherry cask.
• Lineage: Part of The Balvenie's occasional single cask series, distinct from the core DoubleWood lineup.
• Comparison: Shares the distillery's signature richness but amplifies cask-driven intensity versus multi-cask blends.
• Availability: Limited release, highly allocated.

Serving suggestions

• Neat or with a few drops of water to open aromas.
• Suited for contemplative sipping; pairs with aged cheeses or dark chocolate.

"Balvenie's single cask offerings reveal the distillery's mastery in letting individual barrels speak." – General expert consensus on Speyside single malts

Closing

A contemplative sipper for collectors seeking cask-specific depth in classic Balvenie style.