Since rediscovering my new favorite bar, there are several drams I’ve had my eye on which are part of their comprehensive spirits list. Upon each of my visits, I’ve had a plan of attack for which whiskies to try. Amongst those on my must-try list was the Balvenie 21 Year Portwood. Stopped in for another visit recently and decided to do my own mini-flight of the aforementioned Portwood and the 16 Year French Oak. I mistakenly asked for a pour of each of these whiskies, but meant to order a dram (which is the smaller of their two pour types). Needless to say, I’m actually glad I ordered the full pours, because both of these whiskies were great…but spoiler alert – the Portwood was something special!
My Thoughts
43%; 750 ML; Aged in American Oak casks with a finish in 30-year-old port pipes (casks), which previously held port wine
Outside of Japanese whisky, the Balvenie 21 Year Portwood is perhaps the singular expression I have hyped up the most. Since discovering the beauty of Balvenie, I’ve been waiting patiently to try this dram. I’ve even had an eye on a for-sale bottle at a local liquor store; it’s almost like it’s been taunting me! The peer pressure finally amounted and I ordered a pour at my new favorite, local bar. All I can say is, “Wow!” My sweet tooth fell in love with this Balvenie expression. The nose is inviting, sweet, and rich, and presents itself as a heartwarming baked good.
On the nose, I got cinnamon; apples (think apple pie); licorice; vanilla; peach; raisins; plums; and of course, that underlying Balvenie honey sweetness. The palate, also warm and inviting, decadently followed up on the nose and delivered more richness and sweetness; cinnamon apples; and baking spices. Now it tastes like I’m eating that apple pie! The finish was truly a spectacle. This dram has perhaps the longest finish I’ve experienced in a whisky to this point. It’s warm and reprises more of that baking spice theme, with a vanilla note slowly rounding out the tasting experience.
This is an exceptional dram, and is most likely now my personal favorite scotch. The flavors of this whisky elicit that nostalgic effect, bringing me back to my parent’s house around Christmastime, when my mother would bake her various Christmas cookies. Makes the thought of purchasing that for-sale bottle even more tantalizing. Safe to say – whether it’s at my new favorite bar, or buying that bottle – I can’t wait to experience this dram again!
My Score: 90.5/100
Introducing The New Bar Banter Series From Whisk(e)y & Whatnot
I’ve decided to mix in a different format of whisk(e)y reviews with my typical, more in-depth reviews. This begins a new series of what I’ll refer to as “Bar Banter”, where I offer my quick thoughts and first impressions of a dram that I’ve only tried once thus far. The format of my thoughts for this series would be akin to a quick, brief synopsis of what I would provide to one of my friends, were we both sitting at the bar together and discussing a given dram. In this format, you can expect to see my short and sweet tasting notes in the form of a quick paragraph write-up of my tasting experience, and – of course – my score. As this score is strictly based off one tasting, it is bound to change, should I decide to revisit the dram.
Rating System:
- 96–100; An absolutely stellar whisky. Easily a contender for best whisky I’ve ever had.
- 90–95; A great whisky. One of the best whiskies I’ve had. Higher end of this spectrum approaches legend status.
- 80–89; This is a solid, strong whisky. Something is missing that prevents it from being great, but this is still a bottle I’d like to have. Anything at or above this point deserves a spot on my home bar. Higher end of this spectrum approaches “great whisky” territory.
- 70–79; This is a good whisky. Anything in this range and above is something I would consider having on my home bar. Something I could easily sip on every day and something I can enjoy simply for what it is. Does not blow me away, but is still enjoyable.
- 60–69; I’ve had better whiskies. I wouldn’t turn this down if someone offered me a dram, but I also wouldn’t go out of my way to grab a dram.
- 50–59; Not all that good. Again, might not turn it down, but would certainly not go out of my way to grab a dram or find. Would not recommend.
- 50 and below; Not worth the time.
Breakdown of Score:
Tasting Experience (Each category out of 10 possible points, then totaled/weighted 50%): 47/50 points
- Nose (out of 10 possible points) 10
- Palate (out of 10 possible points) 9
- Finish (out of 10 possible points) 9
- Balance, or how well the flavors work together (out of 10 possible points) 10
- Complexity, or number of notes/distribution amongst them (out of 10 possible points) 9
Tasting Experience Weighted Score of 47
Bottle Aesthetics (Out of 10 possible points, weighted 20%): 8/10 points
Bottle Aesthetics Weighted Score of 16
The Craft (Out of 10 possible points, weighted 20%): 9/10 points
The Craft Weighted Score of 18
Uniqueness (Out of 10 possible points, weighted 5%): 9/10 points
Uniqueness Weighted Score of 4.5
Intangibles (Out of 10 possible points, weighted 5%): 10/10 points
Uniqueness Weighted Score of 5
Total Score = 90.5
Explanation of Scoring Criteria:
There are five total categories that amount to what I value in a whisk(e)y, and each category is weighted accordingly to what I value the most. The breakdown is as follows:
- The Tasting Experience category is weighted 50%. 50 possible points are spread evenly across five sub-categories. These sub-categories are nose; palate; finish; balance; and complexity. The rest of the categories allow a possible of 10 points each, respectively, but have varying weights.
- The Bottle Aesthetics category is weighted 20%. In this section I factor in the visuals of the just the bottle, because bottles aren’t always sold with or presented on bar shelves with their accompanying boxes.
- The Craft category is also weighted 20%. This section takes into account the process of making the whisk(e)y and the type(s) of maturation that was/were used.
- The Uniqueness category is weighted at 5%. This category takes into account anything about the dram that stands out, such as whether it’s the first release of its kind or a rare limited edition – things of that nature.
- The Intangibles category is also weighted at 5%. This category is meant to reflect some miscellaneous categories – such as, but not limited to, the versatility of a whisk(e)y and whether or not it’s easy to find – and encompass the things you can’t always see coming – such as the significance of a whisk(e)y to me personally and anytime a dram evokes a feeling of nostalgia (which truly is a thing, at least for me!).
The weighted scores are then added together to total the final score.
Images courtesy of Whisk(e)y & Whatnot.
Whisk(e)y & Whatnot
🇯🇵 whisky lover/scotch adventurer
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