|
Speyside Distillery introduces whisky
with layers of rich spice and smoky
flavours.
 Yesterday evening I was very privileged
to attend the launch tasting of the new
limited edition The Balvenie Peated Cask
17 year old. This new Balvenie
expression was created by
The Balvenie Malt Master, David Stewart,
and is an exciting marriage
of single malt Scotch whiskies finished
in peated casks and new American oak.
More than 45 years of experience give David Stewart an unparalleled expertise
in single malt maturation. With a strong
desire to experiment, David continues to
look at the effects of age and wood upon
The Balvenie spirit. The Balvenie Peated
Cask is the result of David’s latest
work and retains The Balvenie's
traditional honeyed complexity, but
introduces layers of rich spice and
smoke on the nose and palate.
In 2001, a heavily peated batch of
barley was bought from a local supplier
and distilled at The Balvenie
Distillery. The distilled liquid was
allowed to mature until David decided it
was time to rejuvenate the maturation
process and so the whisky was
transferred to newly prepared
traditional casks.
The casks that had originally held the
peated liquid had taken on much of its
character but were without purpose,
until David decided to experiment by
filling them with 17 year old Balvenie
for a short period. The result was an
intensely peaty whisky. Marrying this
liquid with 17 year old Balvenie
finished in new American oak casks
produced a hugely complex single malt,
rich and spicy with layers of smokiness.
David Stewart comments: "In the crafting of The Balvenie Peated
Cask, we wanted to explore the impact of
peat and new American oak upon The
Balvenie single malt. What we have
created is a wonderfully complex and
unique whisky which is layered with
spice and smoke whilst retaining the
characteristic honeyed sweetness
inherent to The Balvenie."
The result is another great whisky from
Balvenie, I am sure there will be a lot
of interest in this very unique off the
beaten track expression of the Balvenie.
The Balvenie Peated Cask is available
from the end of August at a RRP of £70.
|
Keep up to date with
the latest whisky news and special
offers