Sometimes the label says less than it could. Burnside is one of those names used when a distillery does not want its real name on the bottle — but the character in the glass is unmistakable.
Please note: Burnside is the designation for so-called teaspooned Balvenie. It means a cask from the Balvenie distillery has had a minimal amount of spirit from another distillery added, typically Glenfiddich. This is done to prevent the whisky being marketed as an official Balvenie single malt, but it still clearly carries Balvenie's character.
Expert description
Burnside 14 Years Woodrow's of Edinburgh is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky from Single Cask #900019, bottled at cask strength, 52%, without chill filtration and without added colour.
The whisky was distilled on 27 April 2011, and the cask gave 330 bottles. Woodrow's of Edinburgh is an independent bottler based in Leith that buys and matures casks in its own bonded warehouse and bottles in small batches or as single casks.
The house philosophy is about bringing out the personality of the individual cask rather than smoothing it away. Natural colour, no filtration and cask strength are standard, and that makes the bottlings considerably more direct than most official releases.
Tasting notes
Nose
Honey and malted grain with baked apple, vanilla and a trace of flower honey.
Palate
Full and sweet with honey cake, dried fruit and pale oak. The strength brings warmth without shouting.
Finish
Long and dry with grain, spice and a lightly bitter oak note.
Specifications
Name: Burnside 14 Years Woodrows of Edinburgh Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 52%
Distillery: Burnside
Bottler: Woodrow's of Edinburgh
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 52%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single Cask #900019
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 27/04/2011
Number of bottles: 330
Flavour profile
Honeyed · Malty · Fruity · Spiced · Powerful
Investment potential
Medium. A single cask of 330 bottles from a smaller bottler, and teaspooned names like Burnside have a steady following among collectors of Speyside malt.
Did you know?
The practice of teaspooning arose because distilleries wanted to sell casks without losing control of their own trademark. A single spoonful from another distillery legally turns the whisky into a blended malt.
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