Three Balvenie

Balvenie 17 yo ‘The Week Of Peat’ (49.4%, OB, 2021)
Apparently this was created utilizing peat from Pitsligo up in ?? Color: gold. Nostril: a somewhat dry and dusty peat, not dissimilar to inhaling deeply from some outdated wood malt bins, it is also harking back to some late Nineteen Seventies batches of Ardmore with these wee farmyard and oily sheep wool touches. Moist bracken, camphor, toolbox rags and wooden embers. It is definitely a departure from most different peated makes in total type. Mouth: good arrival, somewhat sooty, somewhat oily, extra camphor, cod liver oil, suet, natural broths, umami paste and numerous shades of pepper including heat. Nonetheless this impression of a form of damp, farmy smokiness pervading issues. In time some extra assertive peaty notes and impressions of smoked meats growing, some olive oil too. End: medium, flippantly tarry, camphor once more, some smoked honey, pepper and lighter medicinal notes. Feedback: I discover this superb within the sense that it comes throughout as fairly completely different in type; it isn’t simply ‘one other peated variant’ in that respect. Though, it maybe lacks somewhat ‘definition’ at occasions, in that it comes throughout as somewhat not sure of itself at factors. However there’s pleasure right here for certain and it is definitely value making an attempt.
SGP: 575 – 86 factors.

Balvenie 1975/1985 (57.1%, Robert Watson)
Robert Watson of Aberdeen have been accountable for a variety of fairly glorious and engaging outdated bottlings over the a long time, together with fairly a couple of excellent indy Balvenies at excessive strengths. Fortunately William Grant are nonetheless beneficiant sufficient to promote some casks to the indy bottlers… oh, wait, mistaken universe. Color: pale white wine. Nostril: pure, uncooked, rugged distillate pushed malt! All on sinewed barley notes, malt extract, chalk, pebbles, mustard powder, parsley and issues like moist plaster and aspirin. Austere however balanced by a giant, chunky waxiness and a few underlying notes of olive and sunflower oils. Strides that tight rope between charisma and extreme rawness that may tip over into plain petrol – which does not occur right here. With water: opens properly onto pollens, vase water, dried flowers, aged mead and camphor now. Maintains this very good richness and impression of texture and fatness. Mouth: pow! Actually goes up a notch right here, terrific arrival all on peppery heat, honey, malt syrup, wealthy cereals, limestone and waxy citrus rinds. Exhibits what a giant and profoundly charismatic distillate Balvenie was on this period. With water: splendidly peppery now, with hints of sandalwood, watercress, fennel and lime. Additionally woodruff and a extra medicinal natural vibe rising. Actually terrific! End: lengthy, oily, mineral and actually beginning to get greasy, fats and oily. Cocktails made by spooning gunge straight from the low wines and feints receiver (is {that a} factor? Ship in some hipster mixologists post-haste!) Feedback: one in every of a handful of exemplary outdated bottlings that reveal simply what an exhilarating and unashamedly fats, joyful distillate outdated Balvenie was. Not saying the trendy examples aren’t additionally nice, however I really feel after the mid-Nineteen Seventies it misplaced this explicit form of ‘fatness’.
SGP: 472 – 91 factors.

Balvenie 15 yo 1974/1990 (57.1%, Signatory Classic, cask #18103-18130, 1300 bottles)
Color: straw. Nostril: a stunning fusion of resinous, crystallised honeys, meads, camphor and waxes. Mineral oils, putty, jasmine tea, pressed meadow flowers and large, textural notes of Barbour grease, hessians and pure, gungy waxes. Simply excellent! With water: turns into even richer and likewise extra aromatically various, taking in wee notes of biscuity sweetness, freshly baked breads, candy ales and natural teas. Mouth: richly honeyed, oily, waxy, fatty – virtually glycerol in texture and displaying many tiny notes of honeys, meads, pollens, coal tar cleaning soap and more and more medicinal. Some citrus curds, barely salty qualities and issues like sandalwood, lanolin and tiger balm. With water: herbs, roots, fennel seed, liquorice, cough medicines, drying waxiness and peppery heat.  Superb! End: lengthy, bitterly natural, brilliantly waxy, oily and stuffed with camphor, fir resins, dried mint and tarragon. Feedback: these bottles simply demolish any arguments about whisky ‘not altering’ over time – that is pure outdated type malt whisky at its glittering greatest!
SGP: 562 – 93 factors.