Each year, for one week only, the Balvenie fires its kiln with peat instead of the usual hot air, producing a small batch of peated barley that is distilled and matured separately from the distillery's standard production. The Week of Peat 14 Year Old is the result — a rare peated Balvenie that applies smoke to one of Speyside's most characterful and honeyed house styles.
The combination of Balvenie's rich, honeyed character with gentle peat smoke is surprisingly effective. The smoke does not overwhelm the distillery's signature sweetness but rather adds a new dimension — a gentle smokiness that plays against the honey and fruit rather than replacing it. The fourteen years of maturation in bourbon casks have given the spirit enough depth and integration for the peat and malt to converse as equals.
Balvenie Week of Peat is one of the most interesting releases in the current Balvenie range. The annual limited production makes it a genuine rarity, and the quality of the whisky justifies the limited availability. For Balvenie devotees, it offers a new perspective on a familiar friend. For peat enthusiasts, it demonstrates that Speyside smoke — gentler, sweeter, more honeyed than Islay — has its own distinctive and considerable charm.
