I've had countless samples of Balvenie at distiller events and whisky shows and always found it a perfectly fine if unremarkable drink. But spending a relaxed hour at home with a generous sample from Pranay gave me a new appreciation for the subtleties of this dram. In the calm sanctuary of my basement, I relished its nose of buttered toast. There's a creamy, clover honey flavor in the mouth that yields a very long finish of similar notes, rounded off with a touch of black tea. It's an altogether well balanced Scotch and a good lesson in how many whiskies deserve some quality time to truly take their measure. I could see myself returning frequently to a bottle of this quality.