Rich, fruity and long
Golf, cigars, steak and single malt. When I decided to become a lawyer I decided that I was going to try all of the "typical" old boy delights that are supposed to be enjoyed by lawyers and bankers. Unfortunately, or to be as expected the only ones that I stuck with were steak and single malt. I say unfortunately because it can be pricey, and the single malt's I like are hard to find in small town Michigan where I now live. Here is how The Balvenie describes its fantastic 15yr old Port Wood. A delicious Speyside single malt with vanilla oak and honeyed, fruity sweetness on the nose and a rich distinctive taste with hits of ripe apricots and dried fruits rounded off with a vanilla oakiness. Its finish is rich, fruity and long. My translation, this whisky tastes warm and smooth when you drink it. It has a strong fruity aroma, like a dry red wine, perhaps a cabernet, and then the distinctive warm smoky smell of whiskey. Single malts derive their flavor from the part of Scotland where they are distilled. Closer to the ocean, further north, west, east, each region produces a specific taste to the drink. I tend to like the Speyside whisky though honestly the older it is the more I like it. Once the grain is harvested, fermented, malted and all of the other steps that happen to the grain to make whiskey the most important factor to the taste is what type of cask is it stored in while it ages. All of the whisky's at The Balvenie are aged in casks that held other spritis at one time. As the casks are stored the wood expands and contracts and the flavors of the previous inhabitant are infused into the aging whisky. The casks that are used to make port wood were used to age port in Portugal. I prefer to drink mine neat with a water back. (in a glass, no ice with a glass of ice water on the side). Enjoy!
TaraLee
Portage, MI