Balvenie was one of the first distillers that I got into. When I get into something, I tend to go all-in on something and started buying all the whiskies that Balvenie.
The Balvenie 15 Year Single Barrel Sherry Cask is matured in a European Oak Oloroso sherry butt that yields 800 bottles. Sounds amazing. It has an ABV of 47.8% which is lower than I would’ve expected.
My bottle has been sitting on my shelf, about three-quarters full, for a few years now.
Coming back to it after all these years, I noticed an earthy, musty, plant smell. Like a dank basement. It’s sherry cask! This should be rich and delicious and it’s anything but. Did my bottle go bad? I’ve heard such a thing is rare but I don’t know how else to explain how this tastes so bad.
I’m reluctant to spring for another bottle of this to test my theory that mine has simply gone bad. Maybe I’ll find it someday on a shelf at some bar and I’ll spring for a dram in hopes that this expression is actually pretty good.
