Side-burn 1989 PST

An old refill delight.

Quick hit review. Side-burn? Whatever you say - we know it's 'teaspooned' Balvenie. On the nose, I'm picking up white peaches, ripe pears and honeydew melon, followed by beeswax, soft spices and hints of banana. It's fresh and slightly flowery. The honeyed arrival kicks off with sweet grapes, tart and apricots before veering towards ginger, white pepper and grassy notes. Oily mouthfeel. Lemon balm, more pears and spearmint carry over into the medium to long finish. A classic refill cask with decent age - what's not to like here? RATING: 4.0/5.0 stars ≙ 88 pts → FIRST-CLASS

Aeons better than the OB’s released. Pure, unadulterated, silky well aged Balvenie … just glory Honey, oak, anise, yellow fruits, thick, chewy

A decent drop with a lovely mouthfeel to it - it reminded me a little of a dry white wine, although there are hints of sweetness. Well worth trying if you see one out and about.

Official tasting notes: Nose: Fresh and fruity with white peach and heavily diluted lemon juice, a sackful of green apples, sauternes, melon and pineapple cubes with a touch of hessian. Palate: Watermelon, beeswax, an assortment of citrus fruits (clementine, grapefruit and lemon) accompanied by a retinue of yellow fruits. Finish: Powerful, long and creamy with more grapefruit and some dried coconut Comments: This is exactly why we love these old refill casks. The vibrancy of the raw materials are still present and the irreplicable effects of time in oak are on full display here, with heaps of oxidative fruit coming to the party, creating something that’s exceptionally well balanced.

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2026/03/01/dornoch-castle-anniversary-trio/ N: Initially rather crisp, this isn’t as immediately accessible as the other two, which is just fine. We’ve all night. Sitting patiently [whilst watching the Master’s snooker final between Kyren Wilson and John Higgins], a fruit bowl consisting of something in between the orchard and the tropical slowly comes to life, supported by a complex wood-spice dunnage, damp & nuanced from the slow-dripping years of a refill cask. That means fruits into honey and wafer with a soft whispering menthol quality. This should appeal to just about everyone interested in the exceptional end of mature Scotch malt whisky. T: Sure, the age shows, but it hasn’t gone flabby or frail. A purposeful and steady delivery, of note, flavoursome oils and oiliness, though structurally, it’s susceptible to water despite the abv. Suitably pepper-seasoned [neat], oak sugars and fruity cereal oils are in no rush to rise away. F: Eventually becoming mashy and ashy, a little [dry] earthiness, there’s an impressive mustering of energy that carries this oldie right through to its third and final act, with fair continuation – theme-wise – from the palate. C: Faithful to its building block attributes, which have weathered wonderfully.

Somehow I didn't enjoy this as much as I expected to. Sweet, oily, white fruits, floral, grassy, graphite, damp wood (a bit distracting). I prefer it without water.

A really lovely fruit salad, though it's a bit odd that I can't detect the fruit at all in the finish. The refill casks certainly complement the spirit brilliantly. I accidentally secured two samples from different bottle splits, and I'm quite glad I did. You can find the full review here: https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2026/06/25/der-gebrueder-thompson-ihr-zeuch/

An elegant masterpiece of 35 years, weaving ultra-fine silk textures with a sophisticated symphony of tropical fruits and white notes.

Too simple.

A wonderful Balvenie that should appeal to more than just purists. The nose is wonderfully delicate, but I like the palate and finish even better. This is also due to the 51.1% and the 35 years of maturation. It's great that it's a refill cask, because that means you'll hardly find any of the simple vanilla, toffee, or caramel flavors in this whisky.

Yes, I am a whisky purist. And when I taste something like this, I am in seventh heaven. Thompson Bros Sideburn 1989, 35 years old. Whisky without too much makeup. Just the spirit itself, given time to become what it was always meant to be. Honey, beeswax and soft orchard fruit on the nose. The waxiness is unmistakable, that old Balvenie character. You can almost sense the long fermentation in it, the fatty acids quietly shaping the aroma and texture. For me this is the fundamental tone of whisky. The spirit laid bare. Thirty five years have carried it to a calm and effortless perfection. Long live Balvenie from the late eighties.

Golden apple juice, oily texture, guava, vanilla, acacia honey, lemongrass, elderflower, tangerine. Very fruity and delicious, even comparable to OB Balvenie 30yo.