Tuns of Fun

Every year the Balvenie Tun 1509 is one of the most anticipated single malt releases of the year, and I annually kick myself for not buying one in retrospect. David Stewart and the gang pick out a bunch of interesting barrels from the distillery and famously marry them in the giant Balvenie oak "Tun" (a massive marrying vessel) until the whisky is ready for release in the Fall. We just got our limited selection of Batch #4 into stock, complete with a tasting diagram that details the characteristics of all 23 casks used in the blend. It's bottled at 51.7% this year and for my taste buds it's one of the spiciest "Tun" releases I can remember, both in terms of sweet and savory spices. The finish is all toffee and Oloroso flavor, but it's dry and robust rather than sweet and unctuous. Balvenie is pretty much where Macallan was a decade ago: about to explode on the world market, but still relatively affordable for the quality and age. I'm wondering if this is the last time we sell the Tun 1509 series for less than $500? It's a 23 barrel blend for the entire world, for God's sake! That's not much.

I've got 24 bottles with a one bottle limit per customer while they last.

-David Driscoll