Decent age on this. Filled in 1988 into a refill hogshead before being bottled at 50% ABV and with 211 bottles of well-matured goodness resulting.
First up – Inverhouse’s least promoted distillery within their portfolio – Balmenach. Devoid of an official distillery bottling for over 20 years, but still a reasonably regular sight on the indy bottle scene. This Society release has been matured in a 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel for 7 years before being bottled at 60.6%.
An 8 year old Balmenach that’s been matured in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead.
Over to one of the lesser known Inver House distilleries (Pulteney and Balblair receive most of the limelight) for a whisky that’s spent 9 years in a 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel. Juicy, Oak & Vanilla profile.
Over to the rather traditional Speyside distillery of Balmenach for this 10 year old that has been matured in a refill ex-bourbon barrel. Spicy & Sweet profile.
Over to Balmenach for a 17 year old matured for 14 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead before being finished in a 2nd fill toasted hogshead.
Balmenach is one of the lesser-known distilleries still operating worm tubs for their condensing – though in the case of this distillery they’re more external ‘tanks’ than what you might think of as tubs (such as at Dalwhinnie). Weighty, sometimes meaty spirit is the result – and its nice to see the Society bottling it at a decent age – as to my mind this style of spirit often takes a little longer in cask to really allow its character to shine through when bottled as a single malt.