This is my third installment in the Balvenie Peat Week series, and unless they release the 2005 edition. The changed the packaging for this one, but I'm hoping that the quality is still the same. Thus far, I'd have to say this series has been the strongest part of Balvenie's portfolio. Nose: Earthy, meaty peat notes. Beyond that, it's strong honey, butterscotch, vanilla, and some cream notes. Cinnamon and black pepper spice, and a smack of oak. Some sulfur in there as well. Apple cider, some lime and orange citrus, pineapple and honeydew, and some toffee. It's solid, but the sulfur doesn't mingle well with the other notes. Other than that, it's good. Fruity, floral, peaty, smoked meat meat, and some sweet notes. Palate: More earthy peat and smoked meat. It's slightly smoky, but more so brisket and BBQ notes. Red pepper and black bean chili, which I often in get in coastal peated malts. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Milk and dark chocolate, toffee, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar. Apple/apple cider, pineapple and honeydew. The sulfur is still there, but it's buried beneath what makes for a more rich and balanced presentation of the notes I got on the nose. Nice palate. Finish: Custard, toffee, vanilla, and chocolate. More of the smoked meat, peat, and red pepper and black bean chili. Cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Medium bordering on long finish. Nice way to cap off the dram. So how does it score? I really like this one. The only detractor is the presence of sulfur notes, Otherwise, it boasts a great balance of sweet, peat, spice, oak, fruit, and floral notes that distinguish this Peat Week lineup. Speaking of which, how does it stand in the Peat Week continuum. I'm 4.25, it's the weakest link thus far. Not that that's a condemnation. There was a dip in quality here, but it's really marginal. Initially, I had this scored on par with its predecessors, but oxidation may have taken a toll on this one. I haven't had it open for all that long, but it seems that the quality dropped rather quickly. I'll return to this and reevaluate it before I cement my score. It's inconsistent with my previous tastings so I may be having an off day. I may improve or reduce my score, but for now it's a solid 4.25.