Balvenie 12 Year Old Montilla Wine Seasoned Cask Speyside Malt Whisky 47.3%

Andalusia makes more than sherry. In Montilla-Moriles south of Cordoba they ripen Pedro Ximenez grapes under a sun that makes the rest of Spain look cool, and the result is a wine most whisky people have never heard of. Balvenie brought the casks home.

The expert's description

Balvenie 12 Montilla Wine Cask is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in European oak casks seasoned with Montilla wine and bottled at 47.3 %.

The release belongs to A Collection of Curious Casks, where Balvenie puts the spotlight on cask types the distillery does not normally use. Montilla is a Spanish dessert wine made from Pedro Ximenez, so the casks carry a sweetness close to sherry but with different acidity and a lighter fruit expression.

The whisky was selected by Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie, who took over the baton from David Stewart, and it is hand filled in Speyside. Twelve years in European oak gives weight and spice, while the Balvenie honey character still sits clearly underneath.

Tasting notes

Nose

Flower honey, pale sugar and lightly toasted oak. A vinous note sits behind it, more fresh than heavy.

Palate

Sweet caramel first, then vanilla, dried apricot and warm spice. The higher strength gives it structure and keeps the fruit in place.

Finish

Fresh and balanced, with fruit and wood taking turns at a steady pace.

Specifications

Name: Balvenie 12 år Montilla Wine Cask
Distillery: Balvenie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 47,3 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: European oak casks seasoned with Montilla wine
Edition: A Collection of Curious Casks
EAN no.: 5010327526386

Flavour profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Spiced · Vinous · Full bodied

Investment potential

Medium. The Curious Casks series is made in limited parcels and not repeated, and Montilla casks are rare in Scotch whisky. That makes the release interesting to collectors following the Balvenie experiments with cask types.

Did you know?

Montilla-Moriles lies so far inland that the grapes often reach more than 15 per cent natural sugar without any added spirit. A Montilla PX can therefore be sweet without being fortified, unlike sherry.

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Frequently asked questions about Balvenie 12 Montilla Wine Cask

What is Montilla wine?

A Spanish wine from Montilla-Moriles in Andalusia, made mainly from Pedro Ximenez. It resembles sherry in style, but the grapes ripen so far inland that they often need no fortification. The casks therefore give a slightly different sweetness from classic sherry butts.

Is it sweeter than DoubleWood?

Sweeter in the fruit, drier in the close. DoubleWood pulls raisin and orange from Oloroso, where the Montilla cask gives apricot, pale sugar and a more vinous tone. The two resemble one another less than the number 12 suggests.

What is A Collection of Curious Casks?

The Balvenie series for cask types the distillery does not otherwise work with day to day. The point is to show what a spirit from Speyside does in the company of unusual wood, and the releases are made in limited parcels.

Who is Kelsey McKechnie?

The Balvenie Malt Master, who worked alongside David Stewart for several years before taking over. She has been behind several of the newer distillery experiments, this release among them.

Can you drink it without water?

Yes. At 47.3 % it is full but not sharp, and the fruit reads best undiluted. If you fancy it, try a single drop in a whisky glass at the end and see whether it shifts anything.

What does it pair with?

Almond cake, dried apricots or a mature manchego. The sweetness in the cask meets Spanish cooking easily, and following a cask home to its origin is rarely a bad idea.