Balvenie Peat Week 14 Year (2002 Edition)

I'm a Balvenie fan. They get a lot of flack, but I tend to enjoy both of their core 12-year olds. But the best thing coming out of the distillery is the 14-year peated whisky. I loved the 2003 edition, and when I stumbled upon this one, I figured I had to give it a go. It's rare at this point, so I figured it would be worth the extra couple bucks. Let's see if the inaugural Peat Week release holds up to its successor. Nose: Initially a big hit of peat and campfire smoke. Deceptive briny note immediately after pouring but now that it's settled I'm going with salted caramel on this one. Some sulfur and earthy notes. And then it's a fruit bowl. Apple, pear, unripe banana, green grape, squeezed lemon citrus. Vanilla and chocolate icing, honey, and malt. Cinnamon and oak spice. Very good start. Palate: A smack of earthy peat and campfire smoke. Sulfur disappears. It is replaced by meaty smoked brisket note. Some bacon and charred meat. After dinner comes dessert. Some apple, pear, banana, pineapple, honeydew, and orange. Add in some sweet notes--vanilla, caramel, milk chocolate, honey, toffee--and you've got a three-course meal. Toss in some chili, cinnamon, black pepper, oak, and barrel char to boot, and you've got yourself a damn fine tasting whisky. Finish: More campfire smoke, earthy peat, and smoked meat notes. Then it's a burst of cinnamon, black pepper, chili powder, clove, nutmeg, and table salt. Some charred oak for good measure. Medium length. I compared this to the 2003 and I found one to be more fruit-oriented while the other was more smoke-driven. The problem is, I took zero notes and can't remember which was which. Oh well, looks like I'll have to repeat the process (and I'm not complaining about the extra homework.) With both renditions, I got some heavy smoked/charred meat notes, more than I've gotten from more than half the Islay whiskies I've had. Big plus. The store owner was nice enough to throw me a 10% discount on this one. It ended up at some weird number between $98-99. That's nearly $15 more than I paid for the 2003. Worth it? Yeah, they're comparable, and naturally this one is the rarer of the two. And I love both. I highly recommend this. Even if you're not a Balvenie fan, this is a different animal. They've got a good thing going here, looking forward to reviewing the latest installment in the near future. Well done, Balvenie.

Nose: Floral, orange blossom notes with a whisper of sweet peat rounding out the subtle hints of baking spices Taste: Smooth, round palate balanced evenly with citrus zest, vanilla oak, and orange blossom honey. Finish: Even, with a gentle rise in the middle finishing with the earthy peat smoke and vanilla tannins.

Very briny type peat, not much else going on. Ok

Perfect amount of peat. Smooth and delicious