The Balvenie Peated Triple
Cask Aged 14 Years is one of the distillery’s first whiskies to be made from
100% peated barley
Today The Balvenie, the most
handcrafted single malt Scotch whisky, reimagines a classic Speyside whisky
with the release of an exceptional peated expression exclusive to global travel
retail – The Balvenie Peated Triple Cask
Aged 14 Years.
The
Balvenie Peated Triple Cask is the
product of trials undertaken by The Balvenie’s Malt Master David Stewart MBE
and Ian
Millar, former distillery manager and current Prestige Whiskies
Specialist at William Grant & Sons.
At a time when very few Speyside
distilleries were using peat in production, The Balvenie distilled a batch of
heavily peated malt, which was laid down to mature at the distillery in
Dufftown, Scotland under the watchful eye of the industry’s longest-serving
Malt Master. Since this pioneering moment, the distillery has dedicated one
week each year, named Peat Week, to using
only peated barley in its production, in order to craft a different style of
The Balvenie liquid with enhanced smoky notes.
The result of the initial
experiment is a classic honeyed whisky enriched with a delicate, sweet and
lingering peat smoke that unlocks flavours unexpected from a Speyside
distillery and showcases The Balvenie’s truly innovative and forward-thinking
nature.
The Balvenie Peated Triple Cask, a non-chill filtered expression bottled at 48.3% ABV, was
aged in the three most traditional cask types – first-fill bourbon, refill
bourbon and sherry, resulting in a whisky with exceptional smoky sweet notes
with cinnamon and ginger spiciness.
Commenting
on the release, The Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart MBE says: “Being able to
experiment with different elements of whisky making and stock management is one
of the most exciting and important parts of my job. The new Peated Triple Cask
is a result of our continued efforts to innovate and trial flavours not
typically associated with The Balvenie. The expression is testament to the
freedom we enjoy as a family company, and shows The Balvenie in an unexpected
way, yet still remaining true to the distillery style our drinkers enjoy.”
This
new release pays a special homage to a time when peated whiskies were commonly
produced by distilleries across Speyside, including The Balvenie, who utilised locally
sourced peat throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s to dry barley processed at the
distillery’s’ traditional malt floor, which is still in use today.
Ian
Millar says: “When we first started the experiments it was an incredibly
exciting time, as very few Speyside distilleries were using peated malt in
production. Along with cask type, there’s nothing quite like peat to change the
flavour profile of a whisky, so it was great to have the chance to undertake
these experiment and lay the foundations for future peated malts.”
The Balvenie Peated Triple Cask Aged 14 Years will be a permanent addition to the existing range and is available
in travel retail from June 2017 with an RRP of £65.
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