Key Facts About This Whisky

Range: Mythical Beasts

Release: Nyami Nyami

Distillery: Balmenach

Age: 13 Years Old

Region: Speyside

Cask Type: Finished in a sherry hogshead

Cask Ref: 4418

Alcohol by Volume: 59.2%

Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration

Limited Edition: 263 bottles

Bottle Size: 700ml

Awards: Silver Medal, IWCS 2026

Balmenach 13 Year Old

Without water

Appearance: Deep burnished copper with rich mahogany flashes from the Oloroso influence. Thick, slow legs coat the glass, indicating high strength and a dense, oily texture.

Nose: A rhapsody of toffee, caramel and clotted cream fudge open with inviting aromas, giving way to rounded orchard fruit compote accents.

Palate: A velvety mouthfeel which lingers with confidence. The palate opens with treacle, burnt caramalised demerara sugar and dried figs, quickly developing into dark chocolate, espresso and roasted nuts.

Finish: Long, warming and slightly drying. Oak spice, bitter chocolate and dark fruit linger, with accents of cereals.

With water

Appearance: Softens slightly to a warm amber with copper highlights. Legs become a touch lighter but remain slow and deliberate.

Nose: Water opens the whisky, lifting brighter fruit notes — red cherry, cranberry and orange zest. The heavier savoury tones recede, revealing honeyed sweetness, softer spice and a more integrated oak profile.

Palate: More approachable and rounded. Red fruits and caramel come forward, with the darker chocolate and coffee notes softening. The texture becomes silkier, and the spice less assertive, allowing better balance between fruit, oak and spirit.

Finish: Medium to long, with softened tannins. Gentle cinnamon and nutmeg leads to sweet dried fruit and a lingering cocoa that note fades cleanly.

Overall: A bold Balmenach that leans into the warm sweet character of Oloroso maturation. With water, it reveals greater balance and elegance, bringing forward fruit and sweetness while retaining its depth and complexity.

Tasting notes by Lisa McWilliam, Spirits Writer, Great Taste Spirit Judge and Drinks Consultant.

About Nyami Nyami

The pure waters of the River Spey flow steadily through the landscape of Speyside, shaping the land as they pass and carrying with them countless old tales. Among the most enduring is the legend of Nyami Nyami, the great river spirit, said to dwell beneath the surface and command the currents. In folklore he is a guardian of the waters, a being whose presence brings fortune and protection, yet whose strength can never be fully controlled.

Bound to the river and forever searching for his lost companion, Nyami Nyami moves through the depths in restless solitude. When disturbed, the great spirit can stir the waters with ease, sending waves against the banks and reminding all who live nearby of the power hidden below the calm. Smooth, full, and quietly complex, this whisky reflects the character of the river itself, flowing easily at first, before revealing a deeper strength that lingers long after the final sip.