Balvenie Peated Triple Cask 14 Year

People have different tastes. I for one, am not a fan of peanuts, almonds, nuts and Balvenie. I often find it way too watery, unbalanced, flavorless and dull. I had one good one, the exception, it was a 14 year old peat week. After that exception to the rule, i decided to give it anothe chance. A good friend traded me a sample of this 14yo triple cask matured peated Balvenie. Since i had a peated one and it was nice, i had faith on this dram. Bottled at 48.3%abv, burnished gold. On the nose, it started promising. The first note was a little crazy, water with salt. But after that first salty glimpse, the fruitiness exploded. Apple, grapefruit, Gooseberries. Incredibly fruity; Tangerine. There is a little peat present with some lavender. Melon. Aftee a first sip, it gave me a nice pineapple mixed with orange. Then it turned into a fruit water (not juice) with salt. Aroma was appealing... little did i know how salty this was going to be. On the palate it was bad. Starts well, very Woody (expected due to the triple cask), Peppery and then... SUPER OVERLY SALTY. A second sip, it had a very citric orange then a savage salt kicks in. It Is off putting. You won't ever taste something more salty compared to this. Aftertaste gets a little better, but it is short and also too salty. Hints of peat smoke. Decent finish. Overly salty, not horrible though. Overall, it gets better with more sips (maybe my tongue died out of saltiness) Still a bad whisky. My scoring system sometimes help this kind of unbalanced drams where one criteria manages to score more than 20 points. For me, this dram has a creepy 63 over 100, and it feels like less. Not good.

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.

This takes some getting used to it. Just when you think you're going to have a gentle honey heather Speysider, it then comes at you in a totally different guise. Thanks to Richard, I got to try this twist on Balvenie. Tasted blind, I could've sworn I was having a Yoichi 10. The peat isn't anything like an Islay or even Islander, it's missing the briny or medicinal depth that they provide. The closest I can think of is Yoichi. Unlike a regular Balvenie, which is for everybody, I don't think this would appeal to all. The Islay lovers going in expecting the Laphroaig medicinal or Ardbeg tar type peat will be disappointed. The Islanders loving the salty peat will be disappointed. But if you like the Yoichi style---yes---then you'll appreciate this unique twist. That peat is earthier, muddier, more mushroom-y. Try it...if you don't like it, at least you'd have experienced a unique Balvenie, one that comes at you with some chest hair. Thanks Richard! Personally, I think I'm going to see if I can buy a bottle

A Balvenie with balls was what I was hoping for when this was announced, and it doesn't disappoint. As much as I enjoy a smooth honeyed Balvenie, it's not the most challenging of Scotches. But add a dash of peat and you get a slightly dangerous twist, a Speyside take on emo Peter Parker*. There's honey and spice on the nose, and it's there too on the palette. The peat isn't Ardbegian, rather it's a dash of pepper in a fresh, creamy, smooth mouthful. The finish is long and peppery, with hints of orange and caramel. A real treat amid the gallons of NASty Duty Free swill. (* You all get this reference, right?)

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.

Picked this up for $143, non chill filtered, >46% alcohol, 14 year age statement and the packaging provides a great depth of information for novice to advanced afficiandos. Does well neat and with a few drops of water (body reduces). Vanilla, caramel, smoke that is different from islay whisky peers. This highland whisky is a top winner on the travel retail market due to price and quality of dram. Solid job @balvenie #balvenie.