The Balvenie 14Yr Peated
Balvenie makes a fairly light spirit, but their experiments with peat have never “split the atom”, so to speak. However, this vintage bottling is a triumphant confluence of opposites. Sweet and creamy malt working in unison with savory peat. A nose of dark chocolate, scorched orange peels, dry peat, and ground chilies. The palate evolves from sweet to savory with vanilla cream, caramel, wet peat, dark malt, and finishes with dry smoldering spices.
Once a year for one week this classic Speyside distillery cranks up the peat in their hand turned barley for a special peatalicious batch typically released after a decade in the cellar. This fourteen year hails from the 2003 vintage and was bottled without chill filtration at 48.3% ABV. Notes include Wurther's caramel, preserved orange peels, blossom honey and smoldered chocolate. A poised, sophisticated dram that also packs a bit of edgy bite