Balvenie Peated Triple Cask 14 Year

This is an interesting scotch. I can’t say it is my favorite Balvenie, and far from being a typical offering from the speyside mainstay (as it’s peated). I love the abv, the Balvenie peat (which they should consider doing more than a week a year), and the complexity imparted by the different casks. What holds this rating back a little is that I don’t get the characteristic Balvenie thick and savory mouthfeel. It’s a little thin. And the finish a bit short, although the sherry kicks in a little at the end. Overall a solid expression but I probably wouldn’t buy another bottle at that price point.

Not too Smokey. Sweet finish

Very sweet and smoky nose, rich and strong taste with peat, some floral bits and fire, fire, fire. Very enjoyable

Butterscotch and sea salt

The nose is smokey and peaty but there's more of a burnt wood quality here rather than the iodine and tar you might get from an Islay. Even though these qualities dominate on the nose they are not necessarily intense. This is deceptive because smoke and peat are far less pronounced than on the palate. On the palate the intensity of the smoke and peat is surprising! Much more intense than the nose would lead you to believe. Then the honeyed sweetness sets in to beautifully balance out the smokey peat. The mouth feel is fairly creamy, not quite what I would call thick but definitely very enjoyable. A nice peppery spiciness follows through to from the end of the palate to the sweet, peaty finish. For my tastes this Speyside strikes a perfect balance of sweet and moderately intense peat. It is an absolute pity that this is travel retail exclusive, especially considering the current COVID reality we are living through. I'm finishing my last ounce from the bottle now, and I don't know when I'll get another chance to do some international travel, but this bottle will absolutely be at the top of my list to buy the next time I fly.