Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 4 Single Speyside Malt Whisky 51,7%

Tun 1509 is not a cask but a vat. A large, old wooden tun standing in warehouse 24, where whisky from several barrels is left to sit together for months until the edges have worn off and the whole thing speaks with one voice.

The expert's description

Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 4 is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in bourbon casks and sherry casks, married in Tun 1509 and bottled at 51.7 % without chill filtration.

The series works by having David Stewart select a small number of casks, empty them into the large wooden tun known as Tun 1509 and let the contents stand and find each other over several months. Batch 4 is assembled from 23 casks, few enough that each individual cask can still be felt.

Bottling happens without chill filtration and at high strength, so the oils and fatty acids filtration would otherwise strip out are allowed to stay. That gives a denser texture and a fuller mouthfeel than the standard bottlings of the distillery carry.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey, dried fruit and cinnamon. Behind it sit vanilla, ginger and a note of old oak.

Palate

Full and oily with malt, honey and warm spice. The high strength gives it an edge without turning sharp.

Finish

Long and warm with spice, dried fruit and a soft close of oak.

Specifications

Name: Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 4
Distillery: Balvenie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
ABV: 51,7 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks and sherry casks, married in Tun 1509
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Batch 4
EAN no.: 5010327525983

Flavour profile

Full bodied · Honeyed · Spiced · Sherry matured · Cask strength

Investment potential

Medium. The Tun 1509 batches are made in limited runs and never repeated, and the early batches are the hardest to find. The series has an established following among Balvenie collectors.

Did you know?

Tun 1509 is named after the vessel itself, which was brought back into use after standing idle for years. It holds around 8,000 litres and sits in warehouse 24 on the distillery site.

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Frequently asked questions about Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 4

What is a tun?

A large wooden vat used to gather and marry whisky from several casks before bottling. The vessel adds no new cask character but lets the parcels find one another, so the result is more coherent than a simple blend of the parts.

How many casks are in Batch 4?

Twenty-three casks, both bourbon and sherry. That is a small number in whisky terms, which is why the character of individual casks can still be traced in the glass.

Is it chill filtered?

No. The whisky is bottled without chill filtration, which means it can turn cloudy if you add ice or cold water. The haze is cosmetic and does not affect the flavour.

Should you add water at 51.7 %?

Try it neat first. It is full enough to carry the strength, but a couple of drops of water can pull the spice forward and make the honey clearer. Add a little at a time.

How does Tun 1509 differ from the age stated Balvenie expressions?

The Tun series carries no age statement, because it is built from a selection of casks of different ages. In return it is bottled at higher strength and without filtration, which gives more texture than DoubleWood or Signature and a rawer side of Speyside.

Which glass suits it best?

A tulip-shaped whisky glass or a Glencairn. It gathers the aromatics at the top, which matters with a whisky at this strength, where the alcohol otherwise easily fills the nose.