Old Ballantruan The 'Peated Malt'

Sweet red bean paste, sweet, strong peppery, oaky, 2 Medicinal, dry, iodine, strong impact, cherry, strong and complex, oily, 2 Oaky and dry 2 2 Beautiful complexity, meaty, balanced, smoky, red fruits, more intensity on peppery and spicy as you take deeper and longer whiffs, delicate sweetness 3.25 Unfortunate lightness and delicate on the first mouth, take a second sip and let it engulf your senses - you begin to detect heavier cherry notes, smoke and peat, pepper on the front and upper part of your nose, peppery and spicy burn probably a result of the high ABV for this bottling, grainy and dryness, rawness masculinity and bitterness 2 Long smooth sustaining of peat, but hint of bitterness sticks, 2

This is intensely peated and very enjoyable. It has immediately become one of my top 5 whiskies. I am a peat enthusiast. Upon opening the bottle, a peaty aroma is immediately noticeable. After pouring into the glass, one must look past the powerful peatiness (which is wonderful) to detect notes of citrus, such as lemon and orange. There's also a floral element present. The palate is quite pleasant. It has a full body, and despite being bottled at 50% ABV, water is not required for tasting due to its sweetness and very slight heat. The finish is long and features intense peat. Almonds, nuts, oakiness, and peat are present. I truly, truly enjoyed this; it's less than 10 years old, but it's absolutely lovely.

A little less passionate compared to the extraordinary 10 y.o. version. Nose: heavy peat, many fresh notes and orange peel. The taste is the same - very peated; pleasantly sweet on the edges of the tongue, some citrus, deep smoked barley; but somewhat pale relatively to the 10 years version. Finish is decent - smoky, mouthfilling, “oily”; there is some barley too. It seemed to be very likely to Ledaig 10 y.o. The second tasting reveals a much more mature and sweeter nature (same bottle, after 2 months since opening - does not seem to deteriorate). Cool. With a touch of water it gives you some more citrus and cream. Well-deserved 4.

It's acceptable. Features a highland campfire-style peat, comparable to the standard Ballechin 10, along with some orchard fruits. It's superior to Tomintoul 16 from the same distillery but not as good as the Islay peated malts or Ledaig. I would be interested in trying an older expression of Ballantruan, however.

My earlier assessment was too kind. After tasting various Cambeltown, Highland, and other Islay peated single malts, I can confirm this is poorly constructed. It has a spicy, sharp peat with notes of matchsticks and rubber, plus washed-out fruit flavors. This distillery is awful.

October 2019 release. Clear, medium gold color. The aroma presents notes of plum, brine, ripe citrus, smoky pomelo, and overcooked egg white. The finish offers warm, rich, smoky malt biscuits, brine, iodine, and a hint of sweet vanilla. A well-balanced finish with peated malt character.