BALBLAIR 1990 22YO - CADENHEAD AUTHENTIC COLLECTION

Its been 10 months since I last reviewed a Balblair so its about time to do so again. Like I mentioned in my previous review from January, I really like the style of most of the North Highland distilleries so I had high hopes for this expression... Balblair and Cadenhead - that can't possibly be a bad combination, eh?

Even though this expression carries a colour that could easily be mistaken for a sherry cask, it is actually matured in an ex-bourbon barrel - a fact that made me just a tiny bit worried that this would be overly oaky.

So was it? read below...

The very crammed stillhouse at Balblair, August 23rd 2012 © The Malt Desk

Balblair 1990 22yo (xx.xx.1990/xx.07.2012) 57,4%, ex-bourbon barrel, 192 bottles, Cadenhead Authentic Collection

Colour is amber

Nose:
Ohh, lovely!
Quite some cappuccino notes extending all the way to hot chocolate. The alcohol seems a little aggressive at times, but eventually calms down, leaving rooms for more delicate notes of overripe apple and earthy notes. Also in there are heavy, sometimes slightly burned caramel notes and a little orange peel and clove - sounds kinda Xmas'y, don't you think?

Taste:
The oak shows itself a bit more on the palate, but its doing it in the nicest way possible. Again there's the apple, hints of mushrooms and what it must feel like to lick a hardwood floor. Time lets an understated vanilla and cinnamon theme and dark honey/slight syrupy notes come through. The medium long finish gives away to some peppery oak and a little mint.

This whisky comes and goes when you drink it and I quite like that.It also shows that even though the colour hints at some big oak influence, its not the case (here, at least)

Great stuff!

89/100!

BALBLAIR 2004 TRAVEL RETAIL - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

In October 2014 I visited Balblair Distillery, but didn't take any whisky with me from there...
To be honest, my suitcase was about full at the time already (well, maybe room for 1 more bottle) but there certainly wasn't room for a Balblair in its very large box.

As I quite like the style of most of of the North Highlanders (Clynelish is one of my favourites and my first malt ever was a Glenmorangie) I made a promise to myself that I would look up some Balblair soon.

On the way home to Denmark, passing through Amsterdam Schiphol Airport I spotted a chance fulfil my promise there already and picked up this 2004/2014 offering at just €40 for 1 liter - a very good price, I think...

Balblair Distillery, October 20th 2014 © The Malt Desk

Balblair 2004/2014 46% 1st release bourbon matured, Distillery bottling

Colour is straw

Nose:
There's some young spirit lurking underneath the whole thing, making it quite fresh and lively. Vanilla, pear, hint of yeast, some custard and buttermilk along with fresh cut grass. Also some fresh lemony notes in there along with some ginger and a faint mustiness. Water brings out a slight floral/fresh linen note...

Taste:
Starts with an easy and gentle arrival on vanilla, overripe apple, green banana, malt and gingery notes... It soon turns spicy, though followed by some honeyed notes and showing that above mentioned freshness on the palate as well.

The younger spirit is kept in place by excellent cask management here, but it is still allowed to show its malty freshness. Water makes the whole experience quite spicy/peppery along with resinous notes, dried hops and yeasty notes.


A good dram and probably one most palates can come to terms with...

81/100!

BALBLAIR 2000 SHERRY CASK#1343 - DISTILLERY BOTTLING FOR THE WHISKY EXCHANGE

Last month saw me making my way past Balblair Distillery on a quiet Monday morning. Arriving at the distillery before 10am, we parked the car and walked the grounds a bit, said 'good morning' to the warehouse man and snapped a few pictures before heading for the shop where my travelling companion did a BYO (Bottle your own), a 2002 from ex-bourbon cask#680 at 58%.

Last time we were at Balblair was little over 2 years ago in August 2012 ans since then there has been more than a handful of casks available there. Back then it was a 1992 19yo at 52,80% on as BYO and at the same price as the 2002 12yo of today - £90... but as with the rest of the whisky market, this has also seen quite a price hike and this seems to be around the price you have to pay for a BYO at most distilleries these days, though some offer you 'more' for your money (read: older whisky) than others.

In the opposite end of the scale, there's still some of the Chivas/Pernod Ricard distilleries (Aberlour, Strathisla, Glenlivet) offering BYOs at a more reasonable £65-70 for 14-18yo whiskies...
There's also a hidden gem somewhere in Speyside at the moment, offering a cracking 8yo sherry cask bottling at cask strength at £45... what a dram - where, you hear you ask? go find out yourself ;-)

Now let's try a Balblair bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange in London...
Balblair uses only a vintage (year) on their bottlings, so you can't makeout the age exactly on their bottlings.

Balblair Distillery, October 20th 2014 © The Malt Desk

Balblair 2000 sherry butt#1343 53%, 588 bottles, Distillery bottling for The Whisky Exchange in London

Colour is dark mahogany

Nose:
Wow, heavy stuff!! BBQ sauce, charcoal, all kinds of dark fruits and especially raisins and prunes, walnut oil, tar, soy sauce, damp earth and a very faint note of struck match

Taste:
Drying and massive!! a real mouth filler! Danish licorice, dark chocolate, dark rum, coffee, very tiny hint of rubber, pipe tobacco, thick molasses, black olives, tea left to soak for way too long, burnt caramel and a more than drying, nipping oak.

Add some water to this (just a teaspoon) and it calms down somewhat and I'd even swear I get some of the Balblair character underneath with hints of apple, but it's maybe just my mind playing a trick on me here...

I like to dive deep into this style of whisky once in a while, especially when a sherry-MONSTER like this comes along! This is, however, not a whisky for everyone and it lacks some finesse and is what I'd like to call sherry 'broken' but I still like it for its sheer force...

89/100!

BALBLAIR 1995 DENMARK EXCLUSIVE - GORDON & MACPHAIL

About an hours drive north of the Highland capital of Inverness, you find Balblair distillery.
On your way there you'll pass whisky familiar names like, Dalmore, Teaninich, Invergordon and Glenmorangie.

Balblair Distillery is located just outside the village of Edderton, close to the Dornoch Firth and is known for producing medium style Highland whisky. 95% of their whisky goes into American ex-bourbon casks and the last 5% in Spanish ex-sherry casks.

This bottling here is a 15yo from indie bottlers Gordon & MacPhail in Elgin and matured in a refill sherry hogshead.

Balblair 1995/2010 19.06.1995/10.08.2010, refill sherry hogshead#1684, 46%, Denmark Exclusive by Gordon & MacPhail

Colour: Dark Gold

Nose:
Clean cut sherry, not a blemish. Honey sweetness and earthen notes. A strange, but beautiful mix of cinnamon and orangy/citrus notes.

Taste:
Garden Fruits, apples and banana? oranges too...pleasent oak, peppery, nutty and bitter sweet oloroso. A bit of chocolate and coffee too. Hint of peat in the aftertaste - Delicious sipping whisky!

89/100!