Balmenach 13 year 2009/2023 Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon & MacPhail)

Gordon and MacPhail, Elgin, Shop Tasting, May 4th, 2024, whisky #4 Nose: Dry hay, crushed dandelions, sulfur, dates, dried figs, molasses, malt extract, Marmite, menthol. Palate: The initial taste is predominantly malty, with a noticeable alcohol sting, though less intense than anticipated. Dark fruits, molasses, and sulfur are present, alongside red wine vinegar and bitter black coffee. Diluting with water enhances sweetness but also brings out sharp, spicy notes. Finish: Medium. Nutty and dry, fading into a bitter dark chocolate and coffee aftertaste. The aroma is heavily influenced by sherry, but not in a desirable way, being sharp and quite sulfurous. It resembles the smell of a package of dried figs with excessive sulfur preservative. Frankly, not an appealing aroma. The taste is similarly disappointing, being firm and, beyond the initial sweetness, primarily sour. Water is definitely needed to temper the 62.3% ABV, but doing so exacerbates the bitterness and sourness from the tannins. Balmenach is an uncommon single malt, and this is my first time tasting an expression from it. This is partly due to the distillery being closed in the mid-1990s, leading to a scarcity of aged stock for a period, but the main reason is that nearly all of its production goes into blends. The spirit is reportedly known in the industry for its robust and full-bodied character (due to small stills and worm tubs), adding substance to blended Scotch. However, some critics have noted a sulfurous component. Regrettably, I found this bottling to be uninspiring, and I suspect the issues stem from the distillate itself rather than unfavorable maturation. It's worth mentioning that this expression has generally received positive reviews elsewhere, and many attendees at the tasting session I participated in also enjoyed it, so perhaps my assessment is an outlier. “Average”: 78/100 (2.75 stars)