Balmenach 14 Year Old SMWS Spirit of Speyside Special Release Tawny Garibadli Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2024) 70cl

1 of 881 bottles made

One of the best Balmenachs we have ever had! Refill & 1st Fill Bourbon & American Oak PX HHD

We walked through the deep, dark forest, stepping over moss-covered tree roots and groups of wood mushrooms. As the wind whispered through the dense evergreens, the aroma of steamed raisin pudding with a tawny port wine sauce emerged. We followed our noses and found a little gingerbread house with vanilla-based frosting, supported by tonka beans, cinnamon sticks and garibaldi biscuits.

When we added a couple of drops of water the scent of chocolate-coated dark red cherries flirting with nougat ice cream and PX raisins dominated, while on the palate we enjoyed blueberries freshly picked from the woodland. Bottled for the 2024 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

About Balmenach

Situated in the district of Cromdale on the banks of the River Spey the distillery stands in beneath the nearby hill of Tom Lethendry where the Jacobites were defeated in the Battle of Cromdale in 1690.

Balmenach Distillery is one of the earliest distilleries sanctioned as a result of the Excise Act 1823. In 1897 the distillery was purchased by Glenlivet and was served by its own railway branch off the Strathspey Railway until 1969. The distillery closed in 1941 and re-opened in 1947, following expansion of its facilities.

The Distillery is owned by Inver House Distillers Limited, a privately owned distiller whose other distilleries include: Speyburn-Glenlivet Distillery; Knockdhu Distillery; Balblair Distillery; and, Old Pulteney Distillery.

About SMWS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) was founded in 1983 by a group of friends lead by tax accountant Phillip ‘Pip’ Hills as a private members club. The concept behind the society was to source casks from all over Scotland which would then be bottled and made available exclusively to its members. Perhaps the most famous feature of these bottles are the unique codes. Each distillery is represented by a different number and the following digits indicate that particular release. That same year, the SMWS set up its first location in Leith’s Vault buildings in Edinburgh where it still stands today.

49.8% ABV

70cl