Whisky Evaluation: Balvenie Pure Malt Whisky Over 8 12 months Previous Seventies

This can be a fascinating bottle of Balvenie. Not solely does it have an uncommon form (courtesy of William Grant & Sons) and an understated label that bears no resemblance to the Balvenie of right this moment, it additionally bears the textual content “pure malt”.

The time period “pure malt” has been the topic of intense debate within the scotch whisky business for a few years. Mostly, it was used to check with single malt whisky. That’s, 100% malted barley whisky from one single distillery. Nevertheless, the time period was not legally outlined.

As such, when the Cardhu Pure Malt – a bottling comprised of whiskies from numerous distilleries – hit the market below Diageo, it induced confusion. Ultimately, the time period “pure malt” was banned in 2009, and the definitions of whisky classifications had been tightened in order to keep away from confusion and guarantee high quality requirements.

This Balvenie Pure Malt Over 8 Years Previous is, in truth, from a single distillery. It was one of many earliest examples of a single malt from the distillery which, by 1971, was working 8 stills.

As we speak, Balvenie is one thing of a Speyside establishment, recognized for experimental cask finishes and wonderfully uncommon bottlings such because the Balvenie 1937 50 Year Old.