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Balvenie 10 years

fruity malty
3.7
(4)€263Scotland, Speyside, Single Malt

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Taste mentions

Facts

Balvenie still keeps a working malting floor, which almost no Scotch distillery does anymore. Barley is spread out and turned by hand until it sprouts. Only a slice of each mash comes from it, but you can taste the intent. This ten year old was sold as the Founder's Reserve, named after William Grant. It shows the softer, sweeter side of Speyside. Apples and pears arrive first, then honey, a little cinnamon and vanilla. The finish drifts toward milk chocolate and coffee. It was discontinued years ago, so bottles are getting harder to find.

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About the distillery

Distillery

Balvenie

The Balvenie distillery is located in Dufftown, Scotland and was founded in 1892. It is one of the few distilleries in Scotland that still has its own floor maltings, where the barley is malted by hand. Balvenie's range of whiskies includes both peated and unpeated expressions, and they are aged in a variety of casks, including ex-bourbon, sherry, and rum casks. The distillery is also known for its experimental cask finishes, such as its PortWood and Caribbean Cask expressions. Balvenie has won numerous awards for its whiskies.

4.1Average rating

85Whiskies on Distilld

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Speyside

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About the Balvenie 10 years

Balvenie 10 years is a single malt Scotch whisky from Speyside, in Scotland. The distillery released it as the Founder's Reserve. That name honours William Grant, the man who founded the place. Ten years in oak give the spirit a soft, rounded shape. Bottled at 40% ABV, it served for a long time as the entry point to the range. Newer releases have since replaced it on most shelves. Few Scotch distilleries still malt their own barley. Balvenie is one of them. Its floor maltings supply a small share of each mash, up to about 15 percent. Workers turn the wet grain by hand as it germinates. The remaining grain comes in ready malted. A cooperage on site repairs and rebuilds the casks. Those crafts are rare now, and they shape the house style. Apple and pear come first, with cinnamon and a dusting of nutmeg. Honey follows, then vanilla and soft dried fruit. A faint floral note drifts through the middle. The palate turns sweeter and creamier. Caramel and banana sit next to a thread of dark chocolate. Malty cereal runs underneath the whole thing. Milk chocolate and a trace of coffee close it out. Nothing shouts, and the balance is the point. Balvenie 10 years shows the distillery without much dressing up. The older expressions in the range carry more years in wood. Here the spirit itself does most of the talking. Ten years is enough oak for shape, not enough to dominate. Colouring is added, so the pale gold in the glass is adjusted. That still leaves a clear look at young Speyside spirit. Bottles now turn up mainly at auction and in older stock.