Home

Start a new search!

THE 'PEATED MALT' SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY Speyside Glenlivet
Vintage Assessments Tasting Note Producer OLD BALLANTRUAN
Very bright light gold colour. Very attractive, gently honeyed, slightly spicy, intense, refined floral, heather nose with lots of smoky notes. Delicious, dry, medium-full bodied, harmonious, fairly complex, elegant, ripe plum flavours with a lingering, very smoky, faintly citrusy, malt-tinged finish. Wow, don’t miss this one, its really terrific. CSPC 419499
Type Spirit - Scotch Whisky
Agent Lif Win
Country Scotland
Region
Rating ***/***+(95 points)
Intense, Complex, Very Smoky, Smooth
LCBO Note Status Recommended by Vintage Assessments!
A Best Buy
TASTING NOTE: Old Ballantruan is Angus Dundee Distillers heavily-peated expression of their Tomintoul single malt. The Ballantruan Spring provides process water for the remote distillery, which is located in the parish of Glenlivet and first came on stream in 1965. This is an unaged whisky which has not been subjected to chill-filtration and is offered at 50.0%ABV "in order to retain its layered and integrated peaty flavours," according to Angus Dundee. Old Ballantruan is characterised by gentle peat smoke on the nose, followed by emerging floral notes. Comparatively uncomplicated on the palate, the initial sensation of peat is soon accompanied by malt and nuts, but the peat reek always predominates. The finish is very long, and turns into something close to cigarette ash towards the end. The nearest you'll get to having a cigarette in a Scottish bar these days! Lacking the big, beefy body and maritime elements of the Kildalton Islays, Old Ballantruan is an excellent example of how seemingly unlikely mainland malts can be given the smoke treatment and thrive, offering an interesting alternative for 'peat freaks.' Score - 3.5 Stars (out of 5) (Gavin D. Smith & Tom Cannavan, whisky-pages.com, undated) Price $ 99.95
Bottle Size 700 mL
Tasting Date vintages release - September 19, 2015
Cases bought 29 (6 bottles per case)

Check LCBO Availability

Score:    - Not Presented   * Below Average   *+ OK   ** Good    **+ Excellent    *** Outstanding ***+ Exceptional

Copyright Vintage Assessments 2024
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
 (electronic or other wise) and or quotation.
Contact Michael Vaughan at mbv@uniserve.com