Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year

Pretty strong cherry and almond nose; brown sugar, vanilla, and chocolate; smooth, unctuous; dry caramel and brown sugar finish; really nice for its subtle, but complex and dark flavors the rum lends

Sweet hints of Oak with one of the smoothest finishes of Vanilla I’ve had. Always drink it neat with 2-3 drop of water to open it up.

Patten House. 2 oz

Flavorful bite that doesn't quit...

This is good. It's like the meringue of Glenmorangie 18 meets the rummy spiciness of Compass Box Spice Tree. Despite the fun rum presence here, this seems more like a quirky Scotch since there is not a lot going on. the sweetness and richness are nice, but I wish that the alcohol were less present. It has a rich, woody scent with some rich dark fruity notes that blend in nicely. There's a bit of spice on the nose too and some interesting tartness. The nose smells delightful, if not super complex. The palate is more viscous than that of the 17, but also less rich. It has some really nice sweetness with spices and rich butterscotch. I wouldn't have thought that coming back to this I might be crowning it king of the Balvenie line, but here I am considering just that. I like it pretty well, though it is light and on the more hedonistically sweet side. There's some really nice balance of wood with baking spices and butterscotch though. The mouthfeel is really nice too. It takes the hedonistic route and succeeds. What more does it need to do? For the price, it's a questionable purchase. It reminds me a bit of Glenfiddich 14, but with a bit more sweetness and refinement perhaps. It tastes good. There's some banana, but it's light and has a bit of caramel on it. The vanilla and tropical fruits are really nicely balanced here. I'd like to try a richer, older version of this, but it hits a really nice bourbony scotch flavor profile that is classic in nature and also rich and enjoyable. It's quite a good drink. The balance here is really impressive and it's quite enjoyable to drink. A 16 is achieved easily and a 17 is definitely believable.