Balvenie – 15 Years Old Madeira Cask (70cl, 43%)

Balvenie 15 Years Old Madeira Cask is a Speyside single malt, bottled at 43% in a 70cl bottle. It matured first in traditional American oak whisky casks, then finished in casks that previously held Madeira wine. This two-stage maturation is the method David C. Stewart introduced at Balvenie in 1983. Tasting notes describe blackcurrant and blackberry on the nose, gradually joined by gingery sweetness and mild spice. The palate moves from ripe peach to fresh orange, hazelnut and oak, and the finish is medium in length, with gentle spice, stone fruit skins, honey, pepper and nuttiness.