Taster

Nose: Very aromatic. Butterscotch, honey. Acacia. Faint peat.

Palate: Buttery maltiness. Honey. Orange. Linctus-like. Hint of vanilla. Juicy oak.

Finish: Orange skins. Lemongrass. Lightly peaty balancing dryness.

Comment: A beautifully balanced classic Speyside whisky.

Score: 9

Taster

Nose: Beautifully delicate and floral with a layer of peat. Bourbon-style vanilla adds age, approaching perfection in Balvenie terms.

Palate: Oily rush of malt. Vanilla and bourbon kick and then infusion of spices and bitter chocolate.

Finish: Dries out and becomes vanilla rich. Remains cocoa dominant.

Comment: An astounding whisky for its age; head and shoulders above its Glenfiddich stablemate.

Score: 9