Balblair is a highland distillery which I wish I had more of. At the time of writing there is two Balblair articles and only one of those is an official release. So Day 4 increases that tally by 100%. Not bad going for a Thursday in December.

I have to admit though I do prefer the vintage…vintage of Balblair which had special looking boxes and unique labels on the bottles.

The Distillery

The Balblair distillery in its current location was built in 1895 because of the coming of the railways. It was mothballed in 1911 but it took until 1932 before all the barrels in the warehouses were emptied.

The site was used by the army during the war as stores which was very common during the period. The distillery was bought back into life in 1949 having been bought by the owner of the Old Pulteney distillery. It would be further developed and upgraded through the 1960’s and 1980’s.

The current owners of Balblair are Inver House which also own Old Pulteney, AncNoc, Speyburn and Balmenach. All distilleries which I rate highly for quality and consistency.

The Whisky

The 15 year old is the middle child in the core range of age statements. Bottled at 46% ABV and available for under £80 Balblair is still an affordable whisky to buy.

The 12 and 15 are in the sherry finish style with more of the maturation in Bourbon barrels before a finishing period in first-fill Spanish Oak butts. Standard presentation is natural colour and non-chill filtered so the lovely amber to red hue is all natural.

Tasting Notes

Colour	Amber
Nose	The smells are the best part just bottle this in an atomiser for me! Honey and candied raisins (is that a thing?!) Mcdonald’s caramel on a mcflurry
Palate	thick mouthfeel which needs a touch of water to calm the first bite and open it up. The first fill sherry is dominant but more overpowering. Tropical fruit salad
Finish	spicy finish with a slightest hint of some chocolate nibs

Where Can I Buy?

Master of Malt – Balblair 15 Year Old

Final Thoughts

Fourth day into the month and this is by far the best dram so far. Its just so well put together, sophisticated without being unapproachable and well priced.

Recommended as one to buy or gift