New Glenfiddich vs. new Balvenie

October 9, 2014

	New Glenfiddich vs. new Balvenie
	William Grant are extremely active these days, with new Balvenies, new Glenfiddichs, new Girvans, and new Kinninvies. And that’s just Scotland. Let’s have two new ones today, both similarly priced…

Glenfiddich 26 yo 'Excellence' (43%, OB, 2014)

A full ex-bourbon small batch, quite pricey I have to say (£340) but isn’t that becoming a poor mantra… Colour: straw. Nose: not particularly ‘old’, but certainly very Glenfiddich, with whiffs of fructose, ripe apples, then more white chocolate, sherbet, melons, yellow peaches and two drops of flower nectar. It’s really fresh, quite joyful, and very easy-nosing. The sugar is very obvious (or sweets, liquorice allsorts…) More lime after a few minutes. Very fresh. After ten minutes, it’s become a kind of hi-level applejack with drops of vanilla essence. Mouth: it’s funny that it would take off with ‘applejack’ and vanilla, but I find less freshness and clarity than in the nose. It’s also rather light despite the slightly spirity side, I also find notes of sweet ale, then marshmallows. Very fine for sure, but I feel that the 43% vol. aren’t quite enough with this kind of profile. Jelly babies, liquorice allsorts. Finish: rather short, sweet, a tad sugary. Vanilla-flavoured brioche. Comments: a light dram and I find it more sugary than fruity. May have worked better at 46% vol. – or with some sherry - but who am I? I may have missed a lot… SGP:431 - 78 points.

Balvenie 'Tun 1509' (47.1%, OB, batch #1, 2014)

This baby replaces the famous - and excellent – inceptions of Tun 1401. Less sherry, more bourbon, many more bottles, possibly a younger average age (I’m not sure at all)… and the same price or more. Why aren’t we surprised. Colour: amber. Nose: same price and same quality, this is embarrassingly successful yet again. Beehive, honey, wax, overripe apples and mangos, that kind of thing. Then old amoroso, heather honey, rose jelly, blood oranges, juicy sultanas, pollen… Gets more and more tertiary after two minutes, with cigars, pu-erh tea, earth after a summer rain. Disappointingly superb. I’d love to find bad things to write about these ‘Tuns’. Help me! Mouth: I’m afraid it works again. I’m highly disappointed. I’m about to write a letter to the Company. No, seriously, it’s a pretty perfect pack, and even if there’s a wee bit of drying oakiness/spiciness in the background, all the rest is singing loud and clear, with body and complexity. Oranges, honey, tobacco, coffee, mango chutney, a touch of ginger and even tonic water, pink grapefruits… All perfect. Almost forgot to mention ripe plums. Finish: long, with more oranges, stewed rhubarb and clove. Christmas is around the corner (hey?) Comments: the ‘good’ NAS way, IMHO. They’ve done it again, even if some batches of Tun 1401 may have been a little more ‘rich and wide’, and better polished. They could try to do a ‘Glenfiddich Tun’, with a bit of sherry (S., please!) SGP:641 - 90 points.