Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 94 |
| Style |
Scotch Whiskey |
| Produced In | Scotland |
| ABV | 47.5% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $503.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Review Updated | 2023-12-04 |
The Balvenie A Revelation of Cask and Character Review
The fifth release in The Balvenie’s luxury Stories Collection is a 19-year expression aged entirely in Oloroso sherry casks. According to the brand, it will be the only in the line with that cask profile. Titled “A Revelation of Cask and Character,” the release also marks The Balvenie’s first whisky under the leadership of Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie. Her predecessor, long time Malt Master David C. Stewart, recently transitioned out of that role after more than 60 years with the distillery.
In the marketing for “A Revelation of Cask and Character,” The Balvenie pays special attention to the distillery’s on-site coopers, responsible for repairing and maintaining the Spanish sherry casks used to age this expression for nearly two decades.
This Speyside single malt Scotch is bottled at 95 proof and carries a suggested retail price of $504 in the United States. Let’s see how the liquid reflects 19 years in the casks — and if it holds up to a $500+ price tag.
The Balvenie A Revelation of Cask and Character: Price and Availability
The Balvenie’s “A Revelation of Cask and Character” is available “in limited quantities” across the United States, and the William Grant-owned brand hasn’t given many more details regarding release size. From what I’ve seen thus far, most retailers carrying it aren’t asking for premiums too far above the suggested price of around $504. (In fact, I bet some shoppers might be able to snag a bottle slightly below MSRP as shops try and clear inventory for the holiday season.)
The Balvenie A Revelation of Cask and Character Single Malt Scotch Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
A variety of rich and ripe fruits kick things off on the nose: apricot, plantain, Moon Drop grape, green raisin, and plum are notable among them. There’s also a sharp but quickly dissipating aroma of mulling spices. In conjunction with the influence of ethanol, the early nosing experience is (briefly!) reminiscent of a spiced rum.
Those fruit and spice notes are bolstered by a dense, toasted wood sweetness, which adds a layer of maturity to a Scotch clocking in at just under two decades in cask. The grain is also present here but not overpowering, the malt instead taking a backseat to the oak and Sherry influence.
The very end of the nose leans back toward spice, which, along with lingering fruit, smells more and more like cider the longer it sits in the glass.
Taste
Ripe fruit once again arrives early, kissing the tip of the tongue with a fructose-forward sweetness. That transitions to darker fruit moving back toward the midpalate, ending at black raisin. It’s a fitting start compared to the nose, though in the early sips, the fruit flavors here have slightly less variety and more pointed sweetness. I wish they’d hung on for just a little bit longer.
After the midpalate, there’s a strikingly quick passage from fruit to chocolate- and coffee-forward flavors: semi-sweet baking chocolate, coffee cream, and tiramisu, which melt appealingly into the sides and back of the tongue. It’s here where the oak influence shines with outsized impact, balancing tannic with both sweet and spicy elements.
The mouthfeel is creamy, and overall the whisky drinks a few ticks below its 95 proof, again showcasing the oak-forward flavors without becoming overly dry on any single part of the palate.
Finish
The finish is of medium-length and pronounced in its character: crumbled coffee cake and chocolate-dusted tiramisu.
There’s also a small, persisting element of sweet apple that fades in tandem with the elements of coffee-flavored dessert. It’s an interesting pairing that, if amped up slightly, could result in an even more elevated harmony. A couple pours in, and I’m already creating a wish list for the next whisky in a series — that’s generally a good sign.
The Balvenie A Revelation of Cask and Character Rating
94/100
Recap
The Balvenie’s latest “Stories Collection” whisky boasts a pleasing interplay between oak and its other flavors. It’s a satisfying pour with great body in the mouth and a slight (and enjoyable) curveball on the finish, with both coffee and fruit taking things all the way home.
“A Revelation of Cask and Character” is meant to highlight The Balvenie’s high level of control throughout the whisky making process, including the distillery’s on-site cooperage to maintain a range of aging and finishing casks.
Because of its 100-percent sherry cask maturation, in an ideal world, I’d keep a bottle on hand to compare with the distillery’s other releases. For now, that’s an exercise likely out of my price range.
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