Review #67 - SMWS 48.124 'A Carpenter's Bench' - Balmenach 8 Year

SMWS 'Spicy and Sweet' Profile Mini-Series: Part 3 of 3

The third and last Spicy and Sweet bottle we'll be tasting in this series is from Balmenach, specifically an 8 year old bottled at a cask strength of 60.6% ABV. This is another malt that isn't really available as an OB (once upon a time it was, as a part of the Flora & Fauna series, when the distillery was owned by Diageo's predecessor), with the bulk of the distillery's production going toward Inver House blends. It is occasionally available via IB, though, so we snagged one when we got the chance.

The character of the distillate is supposedly fruit and spicy, good for sherry cask maturation, and due to the use of worm tubs for condensation of the spirit vapors, there can be some meatier or heavier notes as well. The whisky in our bottle was aged in an ex-bourbon cask, though, so we'll see if we get some unexpected results.

SMWS 48.124 'A Carpenter's Bench' - Balmenach 8 Year

Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt

Price Paid: USD 95 (2022)

Current Locally Available Price: Sold out, no longer available

Age Statement: 8 Years

Strength: 60.6% ABV

Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon barrel

Details: 1 of 221 bottles, distilled November 2012

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 12 months; bottles at 100%, 90% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Starts out as a fruit bomb, lots going on in this sweet bouquet: lemon, apple, orange cream, overripe pear, and some red wine sweetness. It does turn a little darker with some plum as well, but it's always balanced by lighter, more crisp notes, maybe even some white wine sangria. There is some baking spice as well: dry vanilla bean pods, some cardamom, maybe a bit of clove in there. Despite the aging of only eight years, there is actually a decent oak kick here, and it's very heavily perfumed and somewhat floral at times. Given more time, the spirit backbone begins to reveal itself: barley sugar, creamy oats and grain, and due to the ABV, definitely some heat.

Palate: Bold and intense, and starts out with some of that heat that was clear on the nose - the mouthfeel is medium-thick, and this is somewhat hot and woody and spicy. The oak comes across as sawdust and baking spice, along the lines of cinnamon, a dash of pepper, cayenne, and dry vanilla. There's even a burnt sugar crust it, but it's creamy as well, with some milk chocolate on a second taste. Below the spice, there is a mellow layer of fruit that begins to balance things out, though we probably wouldn't call this 'smooth.' We get applesauce and some lemon curd, and later on, those grain and oat notes come back.

Finish: The finish length is medium-long, and while still pleasantly warm, some of the heat has dropped off now. It's quite oily and somewhat dry and spicy, still - wood chips, tannins, driftwood, maybe some wood smoke as well. There are muted dry fruits now, mostly lemon, and we end with vanilla, a kick of spirit, and a bit of lingering perfume.

Final Note: This is pretty tasty, and that blast of fruit to start is always a treat; it's nice to get the full range of fruity colors, from light and yellow to dark and purple. Once in the palate, the spicy oak is a refreshing twist compared to the fruit; paired with the heat of the dram, though, it can fry your palate a bit if you aren't ready. We liked this one the most of these three whiskies we just reviewed - it has good complexity, beyond what its age would suggest. If this were still available, we'd be picking up another bottle.

Our Average Rating: 8.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 7.01