Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year

Oak and toffee nose with oily fruity (apple) palate to a spicy dry almost medicinal finish

86 proof, 100% malted barley mash bill, age 14 years in rum-seasoned American oak barrels This is my very first encounter with Scottish whisky, and it's a revelation. It's entirely different from the American whiskies (bourbon and rye) that I've evaluated previously. The color is a nice gold, somewhat darker than ripe wheat. The legs form quickly, are widely-spaced, and long. The nose of this whisky kept unfolding and unfolding. Every time I nosed it I got something new. The summary is a first impression of caramel apples, with some kind of smoky background (is that peat? this is a Speyside whisky, and knowing essentially nothing about Scotch I don't know if they dry the malt over a peat fire). Then came notes of apple juice, a mild woodiness that isn't the authoritative oak of charred American barrels, a transitory note of something baking (bread, I think), and then a pleasant mustiness that grew quickly once it appeared. There was no burn from the alcohol, and the overall impression of the nose was a warmth as of a working furnace on a cold day. When I tasted the whisky I found, to my surprise, that it came across as much less complex. The mouthfeel is oily. I got chocolate foremost, with some kind of spice coming in afterward. And then there's a slight taste of oak, again nothing like as prominent as in American whiskies. This is the first whisky I've tasted, of any proof (I've previously tried whiskies ranging from 80 to 100 proof), which I could comfortably hold in my mouth for some minutes without the alcohol becoming painful. The finish is long, beginning with spice, then apples, and a very strong note of oak, which then becomes smoky before reverting to a very long spiciness. I got this as a sample, but the Total Wine site for "my" store here in Albuquerque lists a fifth at $84.99, which is way outside my price range, so I am very grateful to the individual who sent it to me. I realize that there are different whisky regions in Scotland, and that within a region there are variations, but if this is a fair representative of Scottish whisky, I'm a fan.

Vanilla, sweet

The rum taste is present. No smokiness. Really smooth