I wrote last year about new Scottish-based Independent Bottler Halcyon Spirits, and how their 2000-strong cask inventory probably meant we'd probably see many bottles to come. It wasn't long after their inaugural release (a 30yo Macallan) that I tasted their second release (a 32yo Auchentoshan) and whilst I didn't manage to try their third (a 30yo Clynelish), the team have now released (and kindly sent me a sample of) their fourth - a 27yo Burnside from 1996 (finished in an ex-sherry cask and bottled in 2024).
"Burnside", some of you may ask? Basically, a teaspooned whisky, or a blended malt which is predominantly one malt, with only a small amount of another. There's a whole discussion to be had about if all "teaspooned" whisky is really teaspooned, or if some of it is single malt simply labelled/sold as a blended malt, but that's for another post.
In this case, Burnside is the name given to a whisky predominantly made up of Balvenie, with only a small amount of Glenfiddich.
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Nose: Fruit & nuts, pear, honey and some molasses. There are sultana notes, and after some air & time to open up, subtle ginger hints.
Palate: Initial citrus zest, giving way to more honey and molasses, some oak spice, walnuts, dried oranges, vanilla custard, some green frog jelly lollies, and finally some cinnamon. The sherry influence is there, without doubt, but it doesn't overpower the whisky, allowing other notes to show.
Finish: Medium to long, with dried orange most predominant, and subtle ginger spice in the background.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100 (Martin). I enjoy Balvenie, and have always enjoyed the Burnsides I've tried - a lot. This one is no different - a great dram, and a very reasonable price for a 27yo (more or less) Balvenie!
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