Halcyon Spirits Burnside 27yo & Whiskysponge Sideburn 31yo

Halcyon Spirits Burnside 27yo

Region: Speyside

ABV: 52.8%

Price: £195.00

This teaspooned Balvenie, distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2024, underwent a finishing period in a sherry cask before its release. A total of 292 bottles were made available.

Nose

The nose is fairly closed off at first, it's a little dusty and we're struggling to pick out individual aromas easily. Going back, we're finding a fair amount of toffee, raisin flavoured fudge, stroopwaffles, light ginger ale and creamy vanilla in the background. There's also some nutmeg, cassia bark, star anise and a handful of cherries in syrup right at the end. The alcohol can be a bit hot if you go too deep into the glass, but it's mostly in balance.

Palate

The palate has lots of rich sherry flavours up front, starting with a mix of sweet candied ginger and warming ginger ale, we're reminded of a dark and stormy cocktail. We're also getting red kola, cherry jam, dark chocolate and a little anise too. The mouthfeel is good, it's got a silky, syrupy texture, and coats the palate really well. The alcohol can be a bit overpowering though, we're left with a fair amount of boozy warmth on the back palate. The finish does last forever though, with rich flavours of a milky mocha coffee with a shot of vanilla syrup.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose tames some of the overly rich sherried aromas, giving more space for pear, vanilla and honey to appear. That's not to say the sherry has disappeared, we're still finding raisins, cinnamon, anise and ground ginger in abundance.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate is somewhat similar to the palate without water, lots of upfront sherry flavours, the red kola, cherries, a little strawberry now, alongside cinnamon sugar and fudge. The alcohol is still fairly apparent, and we're not sure that the finish is as long as before. We'd avoid water on this one, it doesn't benefit from it in our opinion.

Conclusion

Quite a lot of sherry influence for a finish, we're unsure how long the additional maturation was for but it feels like a fairly active cask regardless. We're not getting too much of the initial bourbon cask flavours or aromas, other than the sweeter vanillas and fudge. It's a lovely dram, well aged and a good use of the additional sherry cask maturation.

Score: 8/10

Value

£195 is a fairly large chunk of change, but you’re unlikely to get whisky this old for much cheaper.

Whiskysponge Sideburn 31yo

Region: Speyside

ABV: 51.4%

Price: £250.00

This release is another teaspooned Balvenie, this time blending whisky from a 1992 second-fill barrel and a 1993 first-fill barrel. A total of 404 bottles were made available.

Nose

The nose opens with pineapple syrup, a handful of ripe green grapes, honeycomb, lemon verbena, pear drops and a little white peach too. A very fresh and fruity nose, sweet but not cloyingly so. The alcohol is relatively apparent, we were expecting something a little softer at this age, but it doesn't prevent you from enjoying the aromas deep in the glass. Going back, we're finding wafer cones, persimmon, artificial apple juice drink, and lots and lots of runny honey.

Palate

The palate opens with a fair amount of citrus, orange primarily, but quite tart and acidic. There's also some freshly squeezed lemon juice. It quickly moves into richer chocolate coated honeycomb, slightly overcooked waffles, stewed apples and apricots, and a little white wine on the latter part of the palate. Similar to the nose, the alcohol shows up more than expected, but it's not overly spicy or hot. The mouthfeel is a little thin, there's a light syrup texture to it, but even so the palate still manages to deliver a good amount of flavour.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has almost a jaffa cake orange-ness to it, spongey with the lightest hints of dark chocolate. The honey and lemon are still apparent, but overall it feels a little richer with vanilla, cake and fudge sweetness coming through for us, with less fresh fruits.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has a real fizzy orange fanta/tango flavour and sensation at the beginning, moving into more of a tingly spice, citric acid, pink peppercorns too. The water has removed some of the sweeter flavours and it's now a bit drier than before. We'd recommend avoiding adding water.

Conclusion

Super honeyed and fruity Balvenie. It's not overly cask driven for a first and second fill marriage after 31/32 years, the wood has complimented the spirit rather than overpowering it. The palate is a touch thin, and the alcohol is a touch hot in places, but it's a lovely dram. We've just off an 8, so we're going with 7.5/10.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

Similar to todays other review, this is a lot of pennies, but again whisky this old is rarely cheaper these days.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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