September 28, 2015

Time Warp tasting, today Balblair

Expect fruits and softness. Although, you never know… By the way, Bal Blair’s always been loved by what the general press – and G&M of course - calls ‘whisky connoisseurs’. Perhaps also because they always forgot to be as pushy as other bran… I mean, distilleries have recently become…

Balblair 2003/2014 (46%, OB)

Colour: white wine. Nose: these may be the limits of the concept of vintage bottling. It noses young. Not quite immature, and certainly polished and pleasantly fruity, but it’s no deep nose. Vanilla, sweet apples, a bit of American oak, and punto basta. Simple! Mouth: very good, for sure, but once again, the simplicity is slightly disappointing. More sweet apples, a little candy sugar, some vanilla, a little grass, and over to the taster. I insist, it’s good juice, and it goes down very well, but it’s lacking the depth and the complexity that other bottlings, including pretty young ones, used to display. Finish: medium, sweet, almost sugary. Sweetened breakfast tea. Comments: of course we love Balblair, but even if we won’t have one of the famous old official 1966s as the next one, I fear… SGP:441 - 78 points.

Balblair 26 yo 1965/1992 (44.4%, Cadenhead, 150th Anniversary, Authentic Collection)

Always with the same funny gimmick by Cadenhead, which consists in reminding us that this little whisky was ‘Matured in an oak cask’. I suppose they ran out of sandalwood? Or was that balsa? Colour: full gold. Nose: hurray! It’s one of those stunning ‘foresty’ old malts, with scents of undergrowth, moss after the rain, mushrooms, old cigars, wine cellar, old pu-erh tea… And there, coming out from under the leaves with the elves (wot wot wot?), the most extraordinary Balblairy fruitiness that does, indeed, remind us of the stunning 38 yo 1966 by the owners. I’ll keep this short, this ’noses’ like an old Yquem. We’re talking honeys, apricots, raisins, and all that. I’m impressed. Mouth: ex-tra-or-di-na-ry, despite a slightly excessive leafiness – yeah I have to find something bad to say about this one; don’t ask, that’s personal. Mint-flavoured toffee, overripe apples, the greatest artisan ciders, all these herbal teas, this fantastic oakiness that reminds us that oak that feels can be good in whisky (sometimes), more fudge, more honey… And at this strength, it’s very drinkable. That’s often the problem with Balblair, it’s too drinkable… Finish: long, but perhaps a tad drying and too leafy this time, which will make it lose one or two points in my book. Got you! Comments: this is exactly what we’re starting to miss more and more in contemporary bottlings – not especially from Balblair’s -, complexity. SGP:651 - 91 points.

Check the index of all Balblair I've tasted so far