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It’s Balvenie whisky, but not as you know it. As the name suggests, this delightful dram was crafted with peated malt, a process more commonly associated with Islay’s uniquely brackish offerings. Yet here it complements Balvenie’s honey and citrus.
Tasting notes
Smooth and rounded with citrus, oaky vanilla and honey
Aroma
Peaty with lighter floral notes and hints of honey
Founded in 1893, Balvenie distillery has a long tradition of producing quality single malts. Balvenie is one of a handful of distilleries to malt their own barley as they own 1,000 acres of fertile Banffshire farmland. Malting is still carried out on a traditional malt floor, and for one week each year they make a batch of whisky with peated malt. This was the brainchild of distillery manager Ian Millar, who’d spent time in Islay and wanted to put what he’d learnt into practice. In days gone by all whiskies were made using peat, often the most readily available fuel. So it could be said that this is the most traditional expression of Balvenie. Smooth and rounded, the citrus, honey and butterscotch are cloaked in a thin veil of peat smoke.