ralfy review 655 - Balvenie 14yo Caribbean cask @ 43%vol
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- If you like my content you can buy me a 'wee dram' at / ralfy , thanks !
This video represents a personal opinion and perspective only.
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Thanks Ralfy for taking the time to make these videos. Even though you may not have the millions of subscribers that other RUclipsrs have, this is one of my favourite channels (and i'm sure many others here agree).
Your videos are human, generous, brave and bring a lot of value to the community of whisky lovers here.
As a professional video editor myself, I know the time and effort that goes behind just putting together content to share with the world. Keep it up. - Phil
. . . happy to share the malt-moments !
I think Ralfy Review 556 will be about Caol Ila 18yo!
Great review Ralfy, thanks. I noticed that the bottle you reviewed, like mine, has a lighter color label than the current version. Have you owned this bottle for a while? if so, can oxidation have played a part in the mark today?
PS. Interested in your views about Peruvian Pisco
. . . bought it recently in a local shop, but I agree, it's an older version.
First from Brazil!
Watching this review while drinking it and pairing with a padron 3000 cigar.
Love that one - my best in class last year. Are Goji berries still good wrapped in chocolate? Haha that's the only way I've had 'em. Interestingly I wrote 'goldenberry' in my notes. And I kid you not pineapple and apricot. By the way it seem WG&S sell Glenfiddich at a low margin over here in Korea and then sell Balvenie for extra profit. I paid 120 USD for it!
Mark
Just paid $68 here in New York, this Is a bargain for the quality; at $120 I’d search for alternatives
I have a bottle of this, it's delicious.
Just bought this for a special celebration, a milestone. Glad to see this nicely recommended.
I first had this as part of a milestone celebration as well. I hope you enjoy your memory as much as I do mine!
This “was” a great bottle for the summer next to the pool at night. I will be getting another bottle of this. Great review!!
Ralfy, as a rum lover you have made me to add it to my basket... Thanks for great reviews
I'm just finishiing off a bottle Unfortunately, it's a bottle I bought and opened in 2012. Even though it's been kept in decent conditions, the nose and palate have slightly dulled in time... Don't keep your whisky, drink it, share it !
Quite frankly when it comes to whiskies, I do not waste my time with whiskies that are chill filtered and coloured unless it is given to me as a gift. It's very simple, I want the full experience, chill filtration and colourants dull out the experience, therefore you are not getting what you are paying for, the list of cask strength whiskies and whiskies bottled at 46 an onward are so vast there is literally no point in wasting time on chill filtered whisky.
Christopher Morkel. Cheers to that. I find myself passing on things I want to try just for the fact they are less than 46% and chill filtered. Perhaps that's foolish, or perhaps I should have a taste of Highland Park in a bar rather than buying their bottle.
I completely appreciate your ignorance, because it leaves more brilliant whisky to the likes of me =)
With what's become of the single malt scotch whisky industry - I've been spending my hard earned $$$ on American bourbons.
I guess what it boils down to is that in everyone's journey they have a certain budget, because my budget is quite limited I tend to skim passed opportunities to drink diluted and non natural whiskies, it's not to say I think these whiskies are bad it's to say that I would rather come back to them when I have had something presumably better. In which case I am ignorant but with reason :] Enjoy those brilliant whiskies!
That is also a journey I would like to take at some stage, perhaps at
the end of this season, I would love to explore more bourbons. I really
enjoyed my experience with Blanton's original so it gave me some insight
to do further research.
Hi Ralfy (and fellow Malt Mates),
A while ago I was interested in this whisky so had a look into it and here's what I found on Balvenie's website:
"The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 year old single malt whisky has been matured in traditional oak whisky casks for 14 years, and then ‘finished’ in casks that previously held Caribbean rum.
To create the ideal finish Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE filled American oak casks with his own blend of select West Indian rums.
When he judged the casks to be ready, the rum was replaced with the 14 year old spirit and the wood was put to work adding the final touches."
Also (according to my whisky.de catalogue) yes, there is E150a in it.
Seems like they could have left out the E150a and it would have still been dark enough. I do like this and the Doublewood. 17 y.o. Peated Cask was subtle in the peat influence.
I'm curious, since this seems to be a growing and very reputable market, have you thought of reviewing any Japanese whiskey?
I've always been a Balvenie fan! My first Single Malt purchased was their Double Wood in fact. I remember when they released their 21 year old Cuban Rum cask and how people flocked to it. It was so wildly popular they made this 14 Caribbean Cask a staple in their flagship line up. Considering Cuban is what they did in the past, I'm quite positive it's Cuban again. However, I'm even MORE positive that they didn't go with a particular region or style of rum, rather a BLEND of Caribbean rums to create a signature flavor profile that fits the big Honey Vanilla Cookie Jar that is Balvenie. My guess is they did a blend of West indian Rums. Oh and Caramel Coloring added without question. Sort of the Single Malt staple as it were.
Is it still an 89?
. . .now 83/100
Hi, when I grow up I want to know how to drink like this :) Nice video, looking forward to drink Balvenie
Local liquor store had an interactive tasting last weekend w/ Balvenie's Malt Master David Stewart. We sampled the Caribbean Cask as well as a 12 & 17yr DoubleWood, finished in Sherry. I preferred the Caribbean Cask.
Ralfy thank you very much, just bought one for a friend of mine as a Thanksgiving gift. Want to start him on whiskey drinking and after watching your review I have figured it would be a good choice.
I was looking for this review last night!! Crazy that you review it today..... thanks Ralfy!
Ralfy, what is your opinion on adding a caramel for a colour? I think it is essentialy a missleading business practice. Why such a great distilleries like Balvenie do this?
In my experience of watching Ralfy, he dislikes it, but he won't throw dislike on a whiskey just because they add caramel coloring to it. (If it any point of reference, I think have seen him knock off a point for it).
Natural color, non chill-filtered and bottled at 46% is how we like em around here.
. . . it's a bad habit !
Exactly, I want to see the whisky for what it is not a camouflage.
Great timing, I recently picked up a bottle of this Balvenie 14yo Caribbean cask :)
Ralfy..Once again i listen to you and learn something again. Thank You for the time you take to make these videos.
. . . happy to help with the malt-moments !
I’m not a scotch expert, but this is my favorite scotch. Wonderful mix of flavors.
What a gem this would be if it was non chill filtered, natural color and 47 .8% ABV like the 12 and 15 Single Barrels.
Is this now discontinued? I found a few bottles on sale at a cash and carry in Tenerife at £45. Tempted. It’s either that or stock up on Ardbeg 10 at £30 a bottle
7:44 and 8:02 Wow, that seemed like a LOT of water for such a small pour of 43% scotch.
Finally got myself a bottle , very nice dram! I actually think I prefer it neat . Thanks Ralfy.
this whisky is trash, pure garbage.. dont waste your money on this bottle.
Its not a bad dram, I like it, but definitely better around for the same money. I wont be replacing it.
Thanks for the wonderful review on my birthday. Now I shall have to go and purchase this to add to my collection.
Please review the tanduay rum from Philippines.
Philippina girls have nice hairy pussies!
Thanks for the review Ralfy. Thank goodness we are back to reviewing Whisky.
Have this sitting on the shelf for another day, should be a welcome experience! Just my malt mention 😋
Love to hear a review of four roses single barrel. My favourite bourbon along with johnny drum.
Great review Ralfy, thanks
If I am not mistaken, you are reviewing here the old First Edition Caribbean Cask that came in a beige Mushroom colour canister. The Second edition and latest ones come in darker brown canisters. I reviewed on my blog the 1st and 2nd Editions side by side. That spirity component you mentioned is absent in the 2nd edition which I enjoyed more. However, after writing the review I bought another bottle about a year later which turned out to be a great disappointment. It lacked any complexity. These Balvenies seem to be variable in quality.
rebmordechaireviews.blogspot.co.il/2015/07/balvenie-14-year-old-caribbean-cask.html
. . . this was bought locally not too long ago, however I agree it will be an older version as the shop had old stock from a warehouse.
I’m a big fan of the Balvenie, this is an excellent one.
$5 says Balvenie is using Sailor Jerry rum casks (parent company William Grant & Sons owns both).
''Sailor Jerry' is not what I would consider rum, it is 'naturally flavoured', as in 'spiced', as in 'Captain Morgan Spiced Rum'. And they will continue to call that junk 'rum' as long as there is a lack of legislation which prohibits them from doing so.
Regardless of the 'quality' of Sailor Jerry rum - I honestly doubt the Balvenie, and it's parent company will spend the extra $$$ on casks from another source while these casks are already available, and don't cost anything.
Let's not use the phrase "parent company" as though Balvenie were a component brand of Wal-Mart. William Grant is one of the very few family owned whisky companies in Scotland. Are the barrels Sailor Jerry? Maybe... But Rum is the most base and noncomplex spirit on earth made from pure sugarcane byproduct. Let's not be snooty.
@@someonesdad5986 Rum is amazing and has a massive amount of complexity to it... Vodka is the least complex to me.
@@fredlabosch5164 Sailor Jerry is one of the better spiced rums. Its more of a liqueur but its still at its base a rum.
656! not 556! hehe (Yes, I watched this one till the last second!)
100 USD in No. Virginia. A bit rich.
Hi Ralfy, concerning the casks!!!Will it be possible to transfer the casks with the previous content intact???What about bacteria caused by the previous contents left in the cask???If we compare it with the sherry and the sulfure to protect it in case the casks are transfered without being Brocken.
. . . yes, if done quickly.
@ralfystuff had a taste of his with my mum the other day, says it's her new favorite. I've been dying to ask: where do you get your jackets? 😄
. . . e-bay usually, cheap and cheerful !
whiskey forever. even in my sunday coffee
556 you've said. 656.
Picked up a bottle of this last year reduced to £30 in Asda, what a bargain!
That's an absolute steal!
Thank you Sir !!
Great review. I like this dram.
Drop the E150 and chill filtering...dont like either..it cheapens whisky..but..actually it doesnt!!😫🥃🥃🥃🤨🤨🤨
My bottle of Caribbean cask was amazing! In fact, I could say it was the best Balvenie I've had. I am typically skeptical of finished whiskys but this won me over.
Mine too!
OK...This review has twisted my arm to grab a bottle...
The 43% put me off...
I have several bottles of the 15 single barrel at a higher proof and NO color...bottled in 2010 and another in 2011...
This 89/100 malt mark gives me the confidence to pull the trigger.
Plus, I drank rum for 40 years before I ever tasted whisky...lived in Jamaica..and I have Cuban rum here on my shelf...I even visited the Appleton Estate distillery...
That 43% just ticked me off...thanks Ralfy..
Cheers!
My new go to. Simple as that. As a newbie in the whisky scene, my palate is still developing and most single malts taste the same to me. But This... This Balvenie is so unique. When I put the glass to my nose - Wow. I was instantly transported to a tropical island. So rich, so warm, sweet and fruity. I can't pick out all the flavours due to being, well, a noob but there are some smells and flavours that remind me of somethings I've tried in my life.
The nose is rich and sweet. Toffee, is what I can smell. There's other notes in there that i just cannot pick out, it smells like fruit. Tropical fruit but I can't single out which one. It never burned my nostrils, it was a pleasant nosing experience.
Unique and delectable. It's the kind of whisky that I could spend ages nosing because it's so damn good!
The taste is, quite simply, the best I've encountered so far. Soft, smooth and gentle, It makes itself known but it's never overly aggressive and bold like some Islay peated malts that, figuratively, are like the military doing a breach and clear on your palate. At 43% ABV, there's hardly any burn at all, it's a burn that subtly reminds you: "Remember, you're drinking whisky here, so don't get pished" very pleasant.
Vanilla and fruits are definitely present and make for a superb partnership. I can also detect a chocolate pudding note in there.
The finish is very sweet. Vanilla focused, I'd say. it is sweet and there is definitely a prominent vanilla note there. It's long enough to be saying goodbye but never overstays it's welcome. Quite wonderful.
Being honest, I can see this being rather underwhelming to experienced whisky drinkers who have a fondness for heavy and hard hitting flavours from Islay but for those who are occasional drinkers and those who are experienced drinkers who don't mind a softer, gentler malt now and then, give this a try and if you're disappointed, I'll buy your bottle, lol.
I drank this dram neat over the course of 25 minutes and it was wonderful. I don't think water is needed but I can imagine it will accentuate the tropical notes even more with a drop o' water.
A magnificent dram. Sweet and tropical. It doesn't get much better than this for me... At the moment ;)
Malt mention suggestion - Malty Monadnock Mountainclimbers. Feel free to use it. :-)
. . . now on the M-mention list, thanks !
I'll be famous! Yah hoo!
There is a rum distillery just down the street here in Siem Reap, Cambodia...I suspect it is green and harsh...Srai whisky in Khmer lingo..
I was gifted a bottle from Burma years ago and it was tasty...
My love of rum and drinkig overproof rum in Jamaica as a lad has given me a lot of help in diving into to Scotch the past 18 months...Ralfy is my guide!
why is Whisky, that contains aromatics from other Sources (aka Sherry,Rum,etc) still called SINGLE MALT ? ... wouldnt it be a blend or spiced (even with the corn from Bourbon casks) ?
so much wet casks used to refurbish bad batches
One of my fav drams
Hi ralfy
Hope you are doing well, I bought 2 bottles 🍼 of this whiskey and I love this balvenie expression, you didn't say it, but I get a dunage smell and earththen basement smell on this whiskey, it reminds me of my parents basement, which was a moldy basement smell, which I can pick out of different whiskeys, I love this whiskey, and I give it a 91 points, close to what you gave it, I will be buying another bottle soon,cheers sir and keep the great videos coming, I love your reviews !!!
I saw an interview with David Stewart where he said they import the rum from the Caribbean and they put the rum in casks. He didn't say how long they age the rum but they mature the whisky in them for 6 months He also said the Double wood is aged in Sherry casks for approximately 9 months
According to the official Balvenie site - the whisky was finished in american oak casks that were previously filled with their own blend of West Indian rums:
www.thebalvenie.com/our-whisky-range/view/caribbean-cask-14
Just opened mine, 86 USD, i love the caramel scent and taste after adding water. I added a bit more than you did.
Better than the 17, in my opinion. Smoother and richer. On par with Dalwhinnie 15, I dare say.
I get heavy guava on the nose, mixed with green fruits and brown sugar. Some sour pear. Arrival slow, sweet and sour fruit explosion but fizzles out in a disappearing finish. A slight sweet syrup would be better tasted at a higher ABV%. 43 is little low for this one.
Hi Ralfy. I'm sitting here with my newly cracked open bottle. I'm hoping it develops some more flavour with time. It's a little bit underwhelming at this point. I got my first Arran 10 which was ok to start, but by the time I got below half the bottle some magic happened and it became a gem of a dram.
Great video. Im enjoying balvenie 12 doublewood
Hi, Ralphy! I'd like to share a funny story partly centered around Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask, as well as a few thoughts. Sorry if it's a letter, but sometimes a letter is necessary.
I just got a bottle of this the other day. My mom went to the Air Force base next door to buy a new TV after the old one roasted and salted its own programming, and got a 10% discount off that and anything else she bought. I was with her to pick out the TV, and of course it was up to me to set things up later. As a reward, not asked for but taken anyway, I was allowed to buy something within that 10% savings amount.
I almost picked out the Balvenie 12, mainly cuz I had seen you do a review of one of the Balvenies (couldn't remember which at first), until I saw this one for $6 more at the package store when we went over there. I was sure that I remembered seeing this one reviewed, but later, I watched it, and realized it was the wrong one! 🤣 Anyway, I watched this one, then tried it.
My pallette is not so particularly developed that I can name off a thousand things, like you seem to do; but I really liked this one for what I could taste in it. I definitely got the sweeter notes from the rum. I even suggested it to my Mom, who has a twice-fried sense of taste and smell, likes her liquor on the sweet side, and HATES anything that isn't bourbon. She said she could smell it across the room and wouldn't go near it--LMAO!
Anyway, this is the first one I was able to actually try after seeing one of your videos. I'm taking a lot of your suggestions, from the Glencairn glass, to the whiskey stick ideas from a few years ago (haven't done it yet, but I'm leaning toward birch and maybe trying mesquite, since we have it growing wild here), to grappa, to trying to hunt down some of the Scottish gins other than The Botanist (my favorite gin of all time so far) or Hendricks (very ubiquitous around here these days). IDK if I'll ever taste things quite like you do, but I've been enjoying trying to pick out the same notes from this bottle of Balvenie.
I'll end this letter here. Thanks once again for all you do!
Like your thorough reviews, well worth looking at before you buy another costly bottle :) Have you ever had whiskies from the Netherlands like Millstone or Sculte? We made a short video doc (subtitled) about this last distillery, you can find it on our channel. We work on a growing series of short docs about Dutch distilleries, craft breweries and wineries (also in Belgium) You might like it :)
. . . keep sharing the moments malt-mates !
I just can't appreciate it to this level. Not saying it's bad, just that I'm not there yet.
Had to be from Barbados and shipped up. It's definitely a Brit rum influence. Spanish would be less rich and more fiery.
I have recently started watching these videos and am really enjoying them I want to start a small whiskey collection I currently have two bottles one of which is this one I'm starting to collect to keep the whiskies unopened for either drinking in the future or selling I was wandering will this bottle ever be worth any more than I payed originally? I think I payed £42 for it which compared to some is not a lot of money so will this ever be worth anymore or is it just the bottles that are hundreds if not thousands of pounds that are ever worth more money? Thanks in advance!
I get a little bit of bitter orange with this malt. Otherwise, I think you covered all of the bases.
Excellent Reviw Sir .... Love You ..🥃❤
The bottle of this that I had a couple of years ago was sickly sweet. I did not like it at all and felt that the original excellent Balvenie spirit was overwhelmed by the rum cask.
That alcoholic asmr was a lovely bonus. Thank you.
To me, the pineapple and toffee/rum are the biggest taste. I like that the finish is clean and that it leaves quietly-LOL
Hello Magnificently Malty Mermen and maids.
This particular cask is one of my favourites. Had such a good time with the bottle I had. Recently picked up the Balvenie single barrel non chill filtered. Another great dram
This is my go-to malt for introducing my friends to scotch. I've yet to find a speyside thats as good for anywhere near the price; i can pick it up at my local whisky shop for only 65/bottle (thats including tax!)
I do agree with Ralphies critique of the finish though; its definitely a bit weak in that area. I've long dreamed of finding a malt with a similar nose but with a healthy bite of smoke and leather on the finish.
A man can dream...
I just tasted this malt and liked it very much:)
I picked spiciness, slightly spirity sharpness, ripe pineapple, apricot/peach, rum (as in rum flavored sweets). Finish is rather short.
The label doesn't say if it had been chill-filtered. On the back label of both the bottle and the box it is stated that caramel colorant has been used. Not in English though...
Glad you finally got around to reviewing this one. I bought a bottle in Belgium circa 2011, and it was called Cuban Selection. Same product to my knowledge, but it had to be renamed for the American market I think (please correct me if I'm wrong).
🥃👍❤️
My guess is the casks come from Cuba, but due to political reasons they just say Caribbean to stop the product from being banned in US ? Also when are you going to review that glass bottle of IRN-BRU behind you ;)
. . . .when it's 'matured' !
I mentioned this malt and somebody too aparently.
Harder to get now and going up in price in Australia. It was probably my most enjoyed Balvenie.
100$ a bottle in Bulgaria now, also hard to find…
I was told (by a balvenie ambassador in my region, actually) that Balvenie is making their own rum casks to be used later for whisky production. They mature some rum for a couple of years in bourbon casks and later send the content to bulk traders without ever mentioning the "balvenie" name, keeping the casks. And those are the ones they use for their Carribean styled whisky. They claim it allows for a better control over the quality, and ensures they always have a supply
. . . and it's a policy that works !
Hey Ralphy, do you have any plans to review charanda? It's basically Mexican rum, and needs some sort of spotlight or else the last few charanda distilleries left will disappear!
. . . i would buy a bottle if I could find it in the UK
Ralfy any thought given to reviewing the cask strength version of Redbreast 12? I think it offers a lot of complexity and bang for the buck.
. . . it's on the List !
Sounds like a fine whisky worth trying if I could get my hands on it. Thought that you would be busy watching the TT these days Ralf? Thanks for the video review!
. . . TT gets some TTTime !
Tastes like spinach.
A tiny bit of water takes the flavour to another level on this one
Before my favorite whisky was "the Redbreast" ... but it was before ! This Balvenie whisky are really fantastic .
How is this compared to the Redbreast (12?)
556, whiskey works.
9:18 just lol
Am I correct in saying that on this splendid malt that "Caribbean Cask" is actually "Cuban Cask?" Do Cuban caskmakers use oak? Do the rum distillers export the casks directly?
David G Anderson - No it's Caribbean. Reason is originally the scotch was called Cuban Select and wasn't allowed in the US because of the cuban embargo, it's probably still available outside of the US. They had to change the name and source of the rum casks for American consumers. Now there is very little if any way to prove they are using cuban rum casks and I think its quite possible they never actually changed their process and just changed the name.
+hoosd42 Cuban cask was also 17 years old. this is 14.
11:10???? hhahaa
Nobody is going to see a craft Balvenie style till David Stewart fully retires. The old guard blenders seem really stubborn with the continuation of techniques hand down.
Well, they have their Single Barrels which are Natural Colour, Unchillfilterd and bottled with nice 47,8%. But besides the 12 year old Bourbon-one, they are all too expensive for me.
Oddly....I forgot the Single Barrel range, it is also my favourite range of Balvenie. It also higher proof and marketed towards experience tasters. Caribbean Cask marketed more towards brand loyal customers and beginners so it blended for constantly and balance. All I'm saying is that I think most of the new generation of blenders are going to reduce the use of older techniques but likely move to more NAS bottles.
I don't love this edition, but I should try it again. With a new eye, after your review Ralfy! Malt mention suggestion: malty Michigan Men!
. . . now on the M-mention List thanks !
ralfystuff thanks! -Justin
According to David Stewart, he blends his own rum in the cask before introducing the single malt...
. . . sounds like a rum/whisky blend-up . . . . . rumsky !
ralfydotcom of coarse he empties the cask before adding single malt lol
Ralfy, can you do some rice whiskeys from the far east ? Cheers.
. . . no plans for the moment but will consider reviews later on as they become more available.
Cheers Ralfy ! Hey... I don't have money to help you out .. and don't know how long you can keep this train running... just wanted to say that it has been superb pleasure watching your videos. Thanks.
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