Balvenie Portwood 21 Year

Medium to smooth

Nose: fig, plum, dark cherry, apricot, light peat, just a smidge of black tea, white grapes Palate: slightly viscous honey, dried fruit, cranberries, almonds and pecans Finish: moderate amount of peat, butter toast, burnt caramel, candied ginger, bittersweet dark chocolate Value: A, Easily the highest quality whiskey I’ve tasted and also the priciest. The nose has hints of both light and dark fruit with almost a tiny shred of bitter black tea. The palate is not quite as complex but the mouthfeel is slightly viscous with almost a creamy texture and the finish is the star on this one. This has the perfect amount of peat for someone that loves the flavor but wants it paired with other sweet subtleties. The only downfall for me on this one is the ABV. I really think that for over $300 a bottle in the US, this should come in much closer to barrel proof. This would be so much better around 45%. Will I buy a bottle for a high quality dram every once in awhile? I’m still debating but I’m leaning towards no with the low ABV.