TopWhiskies x Minley Manor Balmenach 8 Year Old

TopWhiskies x Minley Manor Balmenach 8 Year Old

Name: TopWhiskies x Minley Manor Balmenach 8 Year Old
Brand: TopWhiskies
Price: 89.95 GBP
Availability: OutOfStock

£89.95

Out of stock

Key Facts About This Single Malt Scotch

Selected by: Ed Leigh

Bottled for: Minley Manor

Distillery: Balmenach

Region: Speyside, Scotland

Age: 8 years

Distilled: December 2014

Bottled: December 2022

Cask Type: Ex-Laphroaig quarter cask

Cask Ref: 565C

Alcohol by Volume: 58.5%

Outturn: 131 Bottles

Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration

Bottle Size: 700ml

Balmenach 8 Year Old Tasting Notes

Ed's tasting notes

Colour: Natural colour, straw-like chardonnay. Oily, coating the glass with lots of parallel legs.

Nose: Big, beautiful, peat smoke. Honey-glazed ham smoked over campfire logs and served with red lingonberry sauce. Sweet malt dances with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Palate: Medium mouthfeel. Earthy peat cut with bright spice. Smoked ham in a sweet sticky glaze. Red berry fruit and mocha coffee. Alcohol is well integrated, building flavour without adding burn.

Finish: Medium. Smoked meats fade through fruit and end with an almost citrus freshness, leaving the palate ready for another sip.

About this collaboration release

Minley Manor's history is a story of England and Scotland, intertwined through the centuries. Minley Manor was built in 1860 for the Currie family. The Curries belonged to an old Scottish family descended directly from the Curries of Duns, from Berwickshire in Scotland.

The founder of Minley was Raikes Currie (1801-1881). He had made his fortune in banking. But, whisky was close to his heart. His grandfather William Currie (1756-1829) had been a distiller. The Curries clan has been associated with Scotch for centuries. Harold ‘Hal’ Currie (1924-2016) founded Isle of Arran Distillery in 1995. Hal was a legend in the whisky industry, and was still brokering global whisky deals until he passed away in 2016 aged 91.

In 1934 Minley Manor entered a new chapter in its life when it passed to the War Office. Over the years it was used by the Royal Engineers as a brigade headquarters, and then as an officers' mess for units stationed at Gibraltar Barracks. Over the regimental dinners through the years, many a bottle of Scotch whisky would be opened and shared amongst the officers. Stories of daring would be shared amongst these heroes, over a dram.

Fast forward to December 2022, and I worked with the team at Minley to continue the intertwining story of England and Scotland. This private label release is a single cask, cask strength, Balmenach 8 year old. Drawn from a special ex-Laphroaig quarter cask, we kept this whisky all natural, bottling at cask strength and non chill filtered.

This is a unique, and delicious, whisky to be shared with friends and family. Telling stories over a dram, just like those Royal Engineer heroes.

Shipping and taxes

Where can you ship?

We're based in the UK, but we can ship to many countries.

We deliver to Australia, Canada (Alberta), Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg, Macao, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, UK, US (certain states*), and Vietnam.

*We can ship to the following US states duty-paid (so no further taxes for you): Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana,Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming.

How much is shipping?

Shipping charges are calculated during checkout, depending on where you live and how many bottles you’re buying. It's usually more cost effective to ship two or more bottles, particularly for international orders. The perfect excuse to treat yourself to an extra bottle!

What about taxes?

All alcoholic products sold by TopWhiskies are sold subject to UK alcohol tax, which is already included in the price.

UK sales are subject to VAT (currently 20%), which is included in the price. Sales outside of the UK are not subject to this tax, and international prices do not include it.

We use a specialist US shipper who sorts out US taxes. These costs are factored into the US shipping charges. So shipping may look pricey, but remember it covers your taxes as well, so there'll be no further bills to pay.

For all other territories, including those in Europe, please note: your order could be subject to local sales taxes and duties upon arrival in the destination country. All additional charges are the responsibility of the recipient. As customs policies vary widely from country to country, TopWhiskies has no control over these charges, so you should contact your local customs office for further information. If you refuse to pay any import duties and taxes, this could result in the goods being destroyed by customs or being returned back to us - any refund offered would include a deduction of our costs.

Which couriers do you use?

In the UK we use Royal Mail, Parcelforce and APC. US orders are sent via UPS. International orders use FedEx and DHL. Orders are despatched from our UK warehouse Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays.

Carbon neutral?

Yes, all our deliveries are carbon neutral. We work with Planet to estimate the carbon impact of each delivery, and then purchase carbon removal credits to offset the emissions.

Need help?

For help, or custom orders, please contact Ed on email ed@topwhiskies.com

Why shop with TopWhiskies?

Quality products, independent brands

All the brands I work with are independent. Many of them are small brands, run by one or two people with a whole load of passion. As a result, these unique products are top quality.

Personal support

Need help? Write to me at ed@topwhiskies.com. It's always me at the end of the email, and I'm always glad to help.

Five-star service

With happy whisky-loving customers all around the world, we're rated five stars for our service.

Secure checkout

We accept all major cards, along with PayPal and Apple Pay. Check out securely online, with the safety of SSL encryption. You can pay in a wide range of currencies, whatever is most convenient for you.

Carbon neutral shipping

We use carbon credits from nature-based removal solutions, such as reforestation and soil carbon sequestration, to ship carbon-neutral. We support Grassroots Carbon and Pachama.

TopWhiskies: Unique Whisky From Independent Bottlers

Meet The Bottler

Ed Leigh

Ed Leigh is an expert in independent bottlers and artisan Scotch. In 2019, he founded the specialist retailer TopWhiskies.com to promote these often family-run businesses and share their small-batch releases. He is a guest writer for The Whiskey Wash, focussing on Scotch in particular. Based in London, Ed holds certifications in both wine and spirits from The Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

TopWhiskies releases

Personal support

There's nothing we like more than talking whisky, so we're always here to help.

Five star service

Rated five stars by happy whisky lovers around the world.

Secure payment

Pay securely using all major cards, as well as PayPal and more.

Insured shipping

Carbon-neutral worldwide shipping, with insurance.