Balvenie Peat Week 14 Years Old 2003 Vintage (70cl, 48.3%)

This is a 14-year-old single malt from The Balvenie in Dufftown, from the 2003 vintage and bottled at 48.3% in a 70cl bottle. It is non-chill-filtered and was matured only in American oak casks. It grew out of trials begun in 2001 by Malt Master David C. Stewart and former distillery manager Ian Millar, at a time when few Speyside distilleries used peat. A batch of heavily peated malt (30 ppm) was distilled and laid down, and one week each year is now given to drying the barley with Highland peat. This gives earthy, woody smoke rather than the coastal character of Islay peat. It is described as velvety and round, with woody peat smoke balancing oak, vanilla and honey.