Balvenie 17 Year Old Peated Cask

I had the opportunity to sample the Balvenie Peated Cask 17 YO at the LCBO tasting tower yesterday. I've heard mixed reviews about this particular label, so I thought I would judge it for myself! These are some of my thoughts:

Nose: Very astringent! Has almost a chemical smell to it, like nail polish remover or paint? Very subtle peat on the nose.

Taste: Very disappointed! Especially considering the high ticket price here in Ontario ($162). The peat is very weak. I felt that the peat was hiding the true essence of Balvenie's true taste. Keep in mind that I sampled this whisky with no water. The taste was a bit rough, and did not seem balanced, and tastes very young on the palate.

Complexity: Not very complex. No oomph! Very boring!

Finish: Very short and blah. I normally enjoy the lingering finish of a fine malt. I savour the complexity, the nuances, etc. With this whisky, I couldn't wait to chew some gum to get the unfavourable taste from my mouth!

Overall, this is a highly over priced whisky for what you get.

This Bottle was purchased in Spring at Heathrow airport by my brother in law and gifted to me when he arrived in Canada. Interestingly it seems to be bottled at a higher 48.7% than the standard 43% alc/vol that is available in stores. It is also non chill filtered.

Colour: Red Gold

Nose: I can smell this one for hours, Honeyed orange peel with a hint of oak and smoke at the end. As with many of their bottlings the nose is very inviting and makes you want to dive right in.

Palate: Buttery Caramel sweetness with spices, a bit of apricot notes toward the end.

Finish: Sweet and smokey at the same time slowly changing to a bitter earth-peaty taste at the end. Not overwhelming but nicely balanced.

I can honestly say that while I am not a fan of The Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year Old or Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask, this particular bottling has been quite enjoyable. Is it an Islay? Not even close however if your looking for something a little bit different you might want to give this one a chance.

You'll need to snap this one up soon as it is a limited release which is unfortunate.