Tasting Notes

Producing WhiskyCast has given me the opportunity to taste some really amazing whiskies, and I’m pleased to share my tasting notes with you here. You can search my entire database of tasting notes from this page, and I hope you’ll find it useful.

The Balvenie DCS Compendium 1961

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Type: Single Malt

Bottler: Distiller

ABV: 41.7%

Score: 95 Points

The Balvenie DCS Compendium 1961. Image courtesy William Grant & Sons.This is the oldest Balvenie single malt ever bottled, with 55 years in what’s officially listed as a “European Oak ex-Oloroso hogshead” cask, but which Malt Master David Stewart admits could actually be just about any type of cask, given that detailed records of cask types were not kept in those days.

The nose has notes of honey, molasses, touches of figs and toffee, a subtle hint of orange peel, dried fruits and dried flowers. The taste is vibrant with citrusy notes of orange and lemon, white pepper, clove, cardamom, cooked bananas, peaches, and pears. The finish is long and effervescent, tingling the tongue with citrusy tartness and spices. Amazing! (November, 2017)