{"product_id":"the-balvenie-single-malt-scotch-whisky-french-pineau-cask-finish-18-year","title":"The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky French Pineau Cask Finish 18 Year","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Balvenie 18 Year French Pineau Cask Finish\u003c\/strong\u003e is a fascinating, richer take on Balvenie’s classic honeyed Speyside style. Part of the limited \u003cstrong\u003e“A Collection of Curious Casks”\u003c\/strong\u003e series, it spent its first \u003cstrong\u003e10 years in ex-bourbon and European oak\u003c\/strong\u003e, followed by an unusually long \u003cstrong\u003eeight-year maturation in French Pineau casks\u003c\/strong\u003e from the Charentes region. It’s bottled at a substantial \u003cstrong\u003e47.9% ABV\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Pineau influence gives it considerably more exotic fruit and richness than standard Balvenie: \u003cstrong\u003etoffee, honey, ripe berries, candied orange peel and vanilla\u003c\/strong\u003e, followed by roasted malt, baking spice and toasted oak. There's a lovely tension between the almost dessert-like fruit sweetness and increasingly dry, woody tannins. The finish is \u003cstrong\u003elong, warming and spicy\u003c\/strong\u003e, with orange, honey and oak lingering. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes this especially interesting is \u003cstrong\u003ePineau des Charentes\u003c\/strong\u003e itself—a sweet fortified wine made from grape must and Cognac eau-de-vie. Those casks give whisky something reminiscent of sherry finishing, but generally \u003cstrong\u003ebrighter, more grapey and citrus-driven\u003c\/strong\u003e, rather than the raisin\/date\/nut character associated with oloroso. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eClassic Balvenie honey and malt dressed up in French clothes—candied orange, caramel, vanilla, ripe berries and spice, with eight years in Pineau casks giving this 18-year-old remarkable richness and a long, luxurious finish.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GOLDEN BRANDS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51621022499122,"sku":"083664100781","price":398.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0044\/7165\/2425\/files\/bal18.png?v=1787349056","url":"https:\/\/www.vintagewinemerchants.com\/products\/the-balvenie-single-malt-scotch-whisky-french-pineau-cask-finish-18-year","provider":"Vintage Wine Merchants","version":"1.0","type":"link"}