Lucky for all you sophisticated Scotch Whisky drinkers out there, the company behind the world’s most handcrafted Single Malt, The Balvenie, has released two new creations: the Caribbean Cask, aged 14 years, and the limited edition Peated Cask, aged 17 years. The Peated Cask, made from just a single batch, is available at select locations for a limited time — once it’s gone, it’s gone!
The much-anticipated Peated Cask Single Malt is complex, rich, spicy, and smoky to both the nose and the palate. The nose also picks up an aroma of violet, lavender, honey, vanilla, and oak. Its taste is prominently of smoke, which then reveals a blend of oak, honey, and vanilla. The spices of cinnamon and nutmeg develop with time. Its finish is sweet and spicy, with a hint of smoke.
The Caribbean Cask was aged in traditional oak casks for 14 years and was then transferred to rum casks, adding notes of toffee and fruit to the smooth, honeyed character that’s inherent in The Balvenie Single Malts. Its taste is rounded with vanilla and sweet oak, and a fruity character develops in time. Its finish is soft and lingering.
The award-winning Balvenie Distillery, located in Speyside in the Scottish Highlands, is a family-run business that has been making quality spirits for five generations. The company prides itself on — and has been applauded for — the fact that it grows its own barley and malts in its own traditional floor maltings. The company has coopers who tend to the casks, and coppersmiths who maintain the stills.
Andrew Weir, The Balvenie’s brand ambassador for the Eastern U.S., says that the company is “not just about the bottom line; we’re also about investing in the future.”
Especially with the holidays just around the corner, Weir hopes that The Balvenie drinkers embrace and explore the many flavors and aromas that Scotch can bring to a meal.
“People don’t think about Scotch Whisky when it comes to food,” he says. “Instead, they tend to think about wine. But Scotch can go with so many types of food. Chefs have realized that there’s more flavor variety with Scotch than there is with wine.”
When pairing food with Scotch, says Weir, “it’s important to decide if you want to bring out the flavors of Scotch or complement the flavors of the food. For example, spicy food will make the palate less able to taste Scotch’s flavors. But pairing Scotch with food really is a feast for the senses.”
The limited edition 17-year-old Balvenie Peated Cask has a recommended retail price of $129.99.
The 14-year-old Balvenie Caribbean Cask has a recommended retail price of $59.99
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