The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask

We just got an email about The Balvenie's newest release, a 14 year old whisky called Caribbean Cask. It's called such because it's aged in traditional whisky barrels for 14 years, then transferred to rum barrels to finish. So what does that mean to you? It apparently means you'll be getting a bit of toffee and fruit flavor in your whisky, you lucky devil.

The full press release is after the jump, but we cut out the good parts and pasted them below. Learn more about The Balvenie, and if you're so inclined, friend 'em up on the Facebooks.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Rich, sweet and creamy toffee on the nose combines with fresh fruit notes

Taste: Rounded with vanilla and sweet oak notes, with a fruity character that develops with time

Finish: Soft and lingering

The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask is available nationwide starting in Fall 2010 with a recommended retail price of $59.99.

Based on the date of that press release (August) we're a little behind the eight ball, but Caribbean Cask is here to stay (it's not a seasonal release) so we suppose you'll forgive us.

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE BALVENIE RANGE Most Handcrafted Single Malt Adds Touch of Spice to its Core Range with The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask
NEW YORK, August 3, 2010 - - The Balvenie, the world's most handcrafted Single Malt Scotch Whisky, today announced the newest addition to its collection of award- winning Single Malts - the Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask. Available nationwide starting in September, this rich and intense new expression will line up alongside the already established range of Balvenie single malts - 12 Year Old Doublewood, 15 Year Old Single Barrel and recent IWSC Trophy Winner 21 Year Old Portwood - as a permanent fixture in the Balvenie range.

This exciting new expression follows the acclaim of 2008's limited edition Balvenie 17 Year Old Rum Cask, and the subsequent popularity of rum cask-finished whiskies, with a whisky that bears all the hallmarks of the Balvenie, but with an added level of complexity that comes from finishing the whisky in casks that once held Caribbean rum. After a 14 year maturation period in traditional oak whisky casks, the Balvenie is then transferred to the rum casks, leading to an exceptional Single Malt that exemplifies the signature smooth, honeyed character of the Balvenie, while adding unique notes of toffee and fruit that come from its innovative cask finish.

The outstanding quality of The Balvenie is a result of the unique craftsmanship retained by The Balvenie Distillery. Nowhere else is there a distillery that still grows its own barley, malts in its own traditional floor malting, employs a team of coopers to tend its casks, a coppersmith to maintain its stills and has in its service David Stewart, the most experienced Malt Master in Scotland, whose innovative approach to cask finishing has set a new standard in Single Malts.

Said Stewart of this new release, "We've found that many years maturation in traditional oak whisky casks followed by a few months of rum cask maturation complements The Balvenie single malt very well, and this expression is a beautifully rounded 14-year-old whisky that combines traditional Balvenie vanilla notes with rich toffee, a hint of fruit and a warm, lingering finish."

September 28, 2010

The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask