Balvenie 14 Year American Bourbon Barrel

It's rare for me to be the first reviewer here, aside from perhaps some unusual cask selections or odd choices (like that strange Korean blended spirit I covered years ago). My relationship with this distillery is complicated; I absolutely love their offerings that aren't heavily influenced by fruit or wine casks. However, when wine casks take center stage, red fruit flavors dominate everything, which I find quite off-putting. This isn't to disrespect anyone who enjoys wine cask-finished spirits; if that's your preference, enjoy it immensely. But it's not really my preference, given my strong liking for Bourbon. This 14-year-old bourbon barrel expression has me eager to taste it... Wow. The aroma is surprisingly smoky. Initially, it smells savory and rich, with a hint of smoked brisket. Accompanying this savory peat smoke is honey-glazed orange peel, citrusy yet slightly bitter, all wrapped in a thick sweetness. The taste begins very gently and smoothly. Thick honey washes over orange slices. The natural bitterness of the orange rind is masked by the underlying peat smoke. Mid-palate brings vanilla and tannic charred oak. The mouthfeel is exceptionally thick and coating, truly satisfying. The finish is dry, long-lasting, and viscous. Charred oak carries through to the end, but a burst of aromatic vanilla bean hits the back of your tongue right at the start. The rich mouthfeel from the taste leads to a pleasant, lingering tingle on the finish that lasts several minutes as you recall the peat smoke, oak, citrus, vanilla, and honey. Amazing! It bears a slight resemblance to certain peat-focused releases (this particular bottling was actually made right after a peat-focused production run, so it coincidentally picked up some of those flavors). It also has elements of the sweet/oak combination found in their other expression, with any harshness smoothed out. It's sweet, citrusy, smoky, and simply delicious. It hits all the flavor notes I adore in whisky and is nearly perfect for me. Why isn't this a permanent fixture in their standard lineup?!

My understanding is this bottle is somewhat of an "accident." Following Balvenie's "week of peat" releases, it seems something wasn't cleaned thoroughly, leading to some lingering smoky peat notes. The marketing team then decided to release it as a "collection of curious casks." There's a bit of conjecture there, but it seems plausible. Nose presents honey, orange, vanilla, cocoa, espresso, bacon, and...peat. However, the peat is subtle. This spirit is certainly intriguing. It's decidedly sweet, and while there's some peat, it doesn't feel deliberate—meaning, it's slightly less pronounced compared to intentionally "sweet peat" expressions like Ardbeg's Uigeadail or Laphroaig Distiller's Edition. With all that said: this is truly a "curious cask" (cask # 2657). Were there 2657 of these "curious casks?" Or perhaps more? I'm unsure. It's been at least a year and a half (likely longer) since I last sampled this. I could have sworn I'd documented my thoughts, as I was aware of the "mistake" aspect. Regardless, I enjoy it. And I still have 3/4 of the bottle left. This spirit appears to be virtually unavailable now. Would I purchase it again? Given its scarcity, likely not. But I will savor the remaining 3/4 of the bottle. 4.25 on the scale.

My previous encounter with Balvenie wasn't favorable, but this one managed to attract me with a reduced price. Fortunately, this one is quite good. Nose offers stewed honey apricots and smoke. Ashy smoke dominates the palate. It's surprisingly how much peat emerged, simply from not cleaning the stills after peat week. The honeyed fruit emerges through the smoke, and it all harmonizes effectively. It may not possess immense complexity, but this is a genuinely pleasing spirit.

As often happens with this distillery, based on my past encounters, this was underwhelming initially. After a couple of months open, with about a quarter of the bottle left, it's starting to shine. Notes of fresh apples, dried fruits, honey, barrel spices, barley sugar, and a faint whisper of peat combine into a delightful whisky.

The aroma brings forth dried fruit and honey, accompanied by a noticeable but not overpowering peat smoke. Initially, a moldy sensation on the palate transitions to a pleasing astringency toward the finish. It coats the mouth agreeably. The oak aging is prominent, complementing the dried fruit and orange bitters. A fantastic Scotch.

Sweet ether on the nose; savory spice on the palate; smooth and lengthy finish.