Balvenie The Week of Peat 14 Year

If peat is what you like, then this is the one. It has a very intense smoke flavor and smell. My wife took a whiff and coughed. The smell has a powerful note coming out of the glass- no need to immerse your nose into the glass. Once you taste it, it seems to have a party in your mouth. There are lots of things going on with this. You can taste the smoke, the wood, some spice and it stays with you. Even after a taste, it will send your tastebuds to a new level and they don't want to stop. The next day I was surfing and I could still taste the smoke. I also tasted seaweed and brine- I was in the ocean, but I related it to the whisky. An excellent whisky that seems to be on a different level of intensities than many others. It is one of the best I have had.

The amount of peat is just perfect. Nice balance of fruit and spice. For the price this might be the best peated scotch there is.

odd name change - and worse new bottling art. Loved last year's tube with so much info. Anyway to the whisky. Nose - Balvinie's classic honey with a smoke cloud of wonderful fluffy almost marsh mellowy peat behind it. Has that just touch of oak smoke you get when you roast marshmallows over the fire, only amplified as an intense peated whisky would have. Taste - A bit underwhelming after the nose. Those citrus and honey and vanilla notes over creamy smoked fire. Such a wonderful mix of sweet and peat. Think sugar cubes, candy cigarettes, powdered sugar, and just peat soup. I'll have to do a 2003 14 year peat week after this, I think I have another review in me today, to do this one justice in terms of how good it is. I'm a HUGE fan of these peated casks. They mix the best of peat and the best of balvenie's sweet malty notes. This is both a perfect introduction to peat for those who are new to it and the perfect way to explore peat in a new non islay way for experts. I thought last year's pour was a master piece and while this seems the same to me, I'm feeling this is just a great whisky. Thus a 4.0 and we'll see if I do a review of last years if I'll bump it higher. Either way if you like peat at all, this is awesome and if you don't, this is one to test before moving on from the style all together. Did a quick side by side with last year's peat week and I'm dropping the score a quarter point. It really doesn't hold up next to last years.

Best whiskey in the world, at least in my opinion! Great soft taste, easy to drink!