January 25, 2016

Balblair vertically

This is something I’ve always wanted to do, a proper, serious, extensive vertical tasting session with Balblairs from various eras. Let’s see what the fruity and complex Highlander will have to tell us!...

Balblair 1990/2013 (46%, OB, 2nd Release)

I had found the first Edition a little simple five years ago, so have been procrastinating with this second edition. Perhaps a bad idea, let’s see… Colour: dark gold with bronze hues. Nose: a tad un-Balblair, but that’s probably the sherry. Some fresh walnuts and some tobacco, autumn leaves, super-dried raisins (grandma’s old box ;-)), then touches of cured ham, perhaps, all-spice, a curious meaty earthiness… It’s in fact pretty complex, but it needs your time. Some fresher oranges will come through after two or three minutes. Mouth: once again, an unusual Balblair that starts with slightly tart, almost too acidic oranges, and would rather go on with a little curry powder, limejuice, and some kind of almost as acidic coffee. A touch of grapefruit as well. This tart side is a bit troubling, perhaps. Finish: medium, very lemony. Concentrated lemon juice. Some nutmeg, cinnamon, and curry in the aftertaste. Comments: well, it really is an unusual Balblair, it’s not often that sherried whiskies are this zesty and almost acidic. But it’s good, for sure. SGP:461 - 81 points.

Balblair 2000/2014 (53%, OB, The whisky Exchange, first fill sherry, cask #1343)

Probably a lot of sherry in this baby, a single cask bottled to celebrate TWE’s 15 years online. Colour: mahogany/coffee. Nose: bursts with rose jelly, old barrels, Turkish delights, cherry liqueur, cinnamon cake, plum tarte (Damsons), pumpernickel baked just this morning, and, well, the whole bakery. Quite spectacular. With water: Cherry Coke (dear people at TWE, I’m deeply sorry, please do not send your Albanian hitmen just now). Mouth (neat): it is some kind of blend of maraschino and amaretto. With perhaps even some of the heaviest Amarones. Now there’s also some fruity lightness in this, with more cherries and blood oranges, then rather cloves and more cinnamon. It’s not an usual sherry monster, in the sense that it’s neither ridden with raisins, nor with chocolate, walnuts, tobacco, or coffee. Neither is it meaty. With water: the citrus comes out more, but the cherry isn’t gone. Finish: long, and spicier. More cinnamon cake, grapes, a touch of liquorice, and perhaps prunes, with a wee Spanish-brandy-like feeling. A little mint in the aftertaste, and perhaps myrtle. Comments: globally drier than it may have sounded. I’d be curious to know about the sherry that’s been in use. SGP:451 - 86 points.

Balblair 1996/2013 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail, Exclusive to Inverness Airport, cask #412)

Colour: straw. Nose: and yet another unusual one! This time it’s very mineral and almost medicinal, with some chalk, some tincture of iodine, some bandages… It’s after one good minute that more citrusy notes come through, around lemons and grapefruits. There’s also a touch of camphor, perhaps. This one reminds of some old Bladnochs on the nose. Mouth: no, there, this is plain and pure fruity Balblair, very well balanced and yet full of bananas and guavas. It echoes the official ones that were distilled in the 1960s, remember those glories? A little more vanilla and white pepper after a while. Good body. Finish: medium, very fruity, with some peppery oak as well. That makes the aftertaste a notch drying. Comments: I’ll probably go for a similar score, although styles are widely different. SGP:551 - 86 points.

Time to tackle older ones…

Balblair 33 yo 1968/1998 (59.4%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #70.4, Faded pot-pourri)

The name’s a little frightening, isn’t it. Now the vintage isn’t, not at all! Colour: gold. Nose: bang. Instant old Balblair goodness. Passion fruits, mangos, papayas, acacia honey, blood oranges… All those sorts of things. Simply brilliant. With water: beautiful whiffs of old wine cellar, a touch of ground coffee, a little sweet Tokaji, this grapefruity combination that’s a little ‘chenin blanc’… Mouth (neat): a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Extreme maracuja and mangos again, then rather more pineapple, then bananas seasoned with a little fresh mint. Perhaps is it a little simple, but everything’s so utterly perfect that we just shan’t care. With water: in the same vein, perhaps a little more towards jellies and sweets than fresh fruits. Finish: long, extremely fresh and fruity. The pineapples are back. Comments: faded pot-pourri? A great old Balblair, with a little more complexity we might have gone even higher. SGP:751 - 92 points.

Good, the older ones are much lighter in strength, I think it’s better that we stop now and do them tomorrow. Stay tuned…

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