The Balvenie 27 Year Old, A Rare Discovery From Distant Shores, is one of the most remarkable chapters of The Balvenie Stories collection. This Speyside single malt spent 20 years in American oak before a seven-year finish in casks from the legendary Caroni rum distillery of Trinidad, a distillery that has long since closed. It is bottled at 48% ABV.
The Balvenie Stories series tells the tales of the people and discoveries behind the distillery's whiskies, and this one begins with a rare find: a parcel of ex-Caroni rum casks. Since Caroni closed, its casks have become almost impossible to obtain, which makes a seven-year finish in them extraordinary. The rum wood lends the long-aged Balvenie a tropical warmth, with muscovado sugar, green banana and mango layered over the distillery's signature honey and vanilla.
The Balvenie is famous for keeping traditional crafts alive at its Dufftown distillery, and this release shows the patience at the heart of that approach: two decades of maturation before the whisky even met the rum casks. The bottle comes in an illustrated presentation tube depicting the story of the discovery, making it as much a collector's piece as a whisky to open.
Tasting Notes
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Nose: Muscovado sugar and manuka honey, light tropical fruit and a hint of green banana with spice.
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Palate: A velvety vanilla texture moving to treacle toffee, aged leather and charred oak tannins, with bursts of tropical fruit and honey.
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Finish: Long, sweet and oily, with vanilla, mango and drying oak tannins.
Specifications
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Producer: The Balvenie
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Style: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
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Expression / Batch: The Balvenie Stories: A Rare Discovery From Distant Shores
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Age: 27 years
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Proof / ABV: 96 proof (48% ABV)
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Cask / Finish: 20 years in American oak, then 7 years in ex-Caroni rum casks from Trinidad
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Region: Speyside, Scotland
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Size: 750ml
How to Enjoy It
Pour it neat into a nosing glass and let the tropical notes open for a few minutes. At 48% ABV a drop of water softens the oak and brings the mango and honey forward. It pairs beautifully with crème brûlée, banana desserts or dark chocolate. Its story and illustrated tube make it an outstanding gift for a Scotch lover, or for anyone who appreciates both fine rum and single malt.
Frequently Asked Questions
What casks finish The Balvenie 27 Year Old Distant Shores?
After 20 years in American oak, it spent seven years in rare casks from the closed Caroni rum distillery in Trinidad.
What proof is The Balvenie 27 Year Old?
It is bottled at 48% ABV, which is 96 proof.
Which collection is it part of?
It is part of The Balvenie Stories collection.
Explore more in our Scotch collection.
