Time for another smoky dram, just in time as this is the coldest week this winter (yet), around here. Israel’s not a very cold place, and our winters are mild ones, but this week it’s under 10 degrees at night, (and more like 0 in higher places around here) so, that’s pretty cold by our Levantine standards. Hence: smoky drams.
Ballechins are usually a blast, and I quite fondly remember one Ballechin I liked very much released almost 3 years ago by TWE, that time it was aged for 15 years, in sherry (I reviewed it here). This one’s older, and aged in a refill hogshead fro 18 years…
Ballechin 2003 18 yo (TWE Exclusive) , 51.3% , £175
Nose: Ah, nice smoky entry, with bacon bits, ash, and citrus fruit peel (not sweet, but not lemony), quite earthy in many ways, more like a wood fire burning amidst a wet damp forest, burning leaves. A hint of vanilla and some wood come into the picture as time goes by and the whisky breathes in the glass.
Palate: Bitter and ashy, with notes of mocha, dark chocolate and digestive biscuits, some tar, licorice, and cocoa dusting, some leather, and more sooty vanilla.
Finish: Ash and soot go on for a long time, with mocha and more of the dark chocolate. quite long.
Conclusion: Lovely stuff, and very enjoyable, I still think the sherried monster of 3 years past was a tad better and very different (if maybe a bit ridiculous).
Score: 88/100
Available online on the TWE site