Aroma - Gentle fresh cut apples, light sweet smoky notes, honey-sweetened black tea Taste - Light smoky notes, a bit thin, fresh cut apples, pears, slightly grassy, a hint of salt Finish - Very gentle smoky warmth, faint diluted apple juice sweetness, cracked black pepper warmth/tingle Score - 73/100 Final Thoughts - While there's nothing particularly negative about this pour, there's also nothing truly exciting. Nothing stands out as being a 17-year Scotch, and it feels rather dull. It's almost like Monkey Shoulder with a tiny bit of smoky notes in the background. Not amazing, but not bad either. Lacks complex flavors and I'd say it's best suited for someone interested in exploring peat but not quite ready for a heavy experience. Overall, it's decent but a bit uninspired. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.
Balvenie Peated Cask 17 Year
Whiskey Scotch Speyside 17 Years 43% ABV
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About this bottle
The Balvenie Distillery produced a limited amount of peated whiskey in 2001. Malt Master David Stewart later decided to transfer some of this whisky into newly prepared traditional casks. Recognizing the character imparted by the original peated casks, Stewart experimented by giving non-peated 17 Year Old Balvenie a brief finishing period in these casks to absorb some of their flavor. Consequently, this is not inherently a peated Scotch but rather one with a peated cask finish.
How it tastes
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Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 12 parsed reviews.
This is a drink for someone sophisticated, who owns multiple large Irish Wolfhounds and has a billiards table in their library. If I had COVID, this would likely cure it and grow chest hair. This masculine spirit is a dream of smoke and medicine. The palate has notes of smoked honey-glazed ham, peat, and ocean water – the good kind from northern Scotland, not that low-quality stuff.
Nose - Characteristic honey but with noticeable peat, giving a strong aroma. Body - Well-balanced peat and honey with spicy peppercorns and lemon zest. Finish - Transitions to sweet honey and nutmeg with a hint of sulfur from the peat. Note - This is one of the more complex Balvenies I've sampled. I enjoyed it a great deal and found it to be well-balanced.
This is my absolute favorite whiskey ever. I typically detect notes of honey and vanilla in Balvenie, so when that combines with smoky peat, it's my ultimate desire. This scotch inspired the name of my business and website: Smoke & Honey. That's how much I enjoy it!
Smells like sweet vanilla and sea salt. Offers a very fresh burst of vanilla and fruit. Features a peaty, earthy, fruity taste. Very intricate.
Very smooth with a spiced cigar aftertaste.
6 more reviews were collected for this bottle. The longest ones are shown first.
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