Vinyl collectors around the world are always on the hunt for that elusive B-side track, available only as a 45 or demo pressing. As music collectors, many of us covet the rarities from our favorite musicians as much — if not more — than their standard catalog.
A slight deviation from the expected norm can be thrilling, especially when it offers a deeper and more introspective look at something you truly love.
In the case of Balvenie single malt — a whisky we adore here at Mission — the Collection of Curious Casks represents the barrels too outside-the-norm for their everyday expressions. As it pertains to this 14 Year Old, the whisky is comprised of casks filled directly after Balvenie's "peat week" — the one week a year the distillery produces its smoky whisky.

As it turns out, peat is difficult to get rid of once it's in the stills. Some of the distillate produced just after peat week picked up just a touch of smoke by accident. After 14 years in American oak ex-Bourbon barrels, that subtle hint of phenols is both too smoky for the standard Balvenie and not smoky enough for the peated expression.
What it is, however, is 100% delicious. The first sip brings orange cream, loads of toasted vanilla beans, and a thick, mouth-coating texture that is surprisingly decadent for a Bourbon barrel-aged single malt. Those flavors morph into baking spices and roasted nuts with just a touch of campfire smoke on the finish.

It's hard to remember a whisky from Balvenie that didn't deliver — it's one of Scotland's perennial overachievers. This little anomaly remains a welcome one, and its flavors are perfectly suited for a cool evening pour.