Blair Athol, rather abundantly


Mars 7, 2022

Blair Athol, rather abundantly

Pitlochry is not just a tourist nest, it's also the home of two lovely distilleries, Edradour and, indeed, Blair Athol. One of them makes a pretty fat and ample distillate, the other one being more into a lighter, easier style. But as always with malt whisky, there are many exceptions. Let's see if we'll stumble upon some of those…

Blair Athol 12 yo 2008/2020 (46%, DS Tayman, wine cask)

This one was finished in an Israeli wine cask. I believe it is the first time we're trying anything by the house DS Tayman. Colour: straw. Nose: a funny one, full of Haribo's best and strawberry Jell-O, while some rougher maltiness would try to resist and keep this drink malty in the background. Mouth: a tough one, rather in the style of some early finishings in red wine as they used to be done twenty-five years ago. Really feels flavoured, with cassis buds, more strawberries, and some green tannicity, possibly from the wine cask. It's not that it is terrible, it's just that it really feels 'flavoured'. Finish: medium, on pepper and strawberries. In theory, that works, but in practice… Comments: not sure the gentler Blair Athol had much to say here. Now, some aspects will please a few adventurous aficionados.
SGP:761 - 69 points.

Another 12 that's been a tad… reinforced shall we say…

Blair Athol 12 yo 2009/2021 (50%, Claxton's Exploration Series, Oloroso Sherry Quarter Cask)

They would tend to use that term for 1/4 of a butt's size, but we've seen 50l quarter casks too (quarter of a barrel). Colour: gold. Nose: walnuts playing first fiddle, then whiffs of dunnage, mud, old wine barrel indeed, and root vegetables. Celeriac. Not an easy one to describe. With water: goes towards mashed vegetables, mashed peas perhaps, potatoes, houmous and humus (right)… Mouth (neat): dry, a tad bitter, on walnut skin and some leather. Notes of dates in the background that would add some sweetness. Some pepper and cinnamon too. With water: gets greener. Those peppery root vegetables and those green walnuts. Not an easy one. Finish: medium, leafy, leathery. Some marmalade in the aftertaste. Comments: a good one but I'm finding it a little austere.
SGP:361 - 78 points

For once, this is starting slowly… Please another 12…

Blair Athol 12 yo 2008/2021 (55.7%, James Eadie, Amontillado cask finish, export exclusive, cask # 354548, 341 bottles)

Love the 'export exclusive' mention, that reeks of the good old days. They could have added 'export quality'. Remember, basically, amontillado is a wine that started as a fino, so under flor, and that became an oloroso, so oxidative. Colour: gold. Nose: great fun. Smoked walnuts and mustard, cigars, eucalyptus, bitter chocolate, hashish and old embrocations. Vaporub. With water: geared towards breads. Mouth (neat): awesome, with a curious but excellent bubblegum + walnuts combo. What didn't quite work in the previous ones is working a treat here. Also citron liqueur, always a winner at WF Towers. With water: some sweet spices plus bergamots and kumquats. Green peppercorn. Finish: long, with a tight, citrusy, zesty spiciness. You could drink this with Pad Thai. Touch of mint in the aftertaste. Comments: very clever composition, with a genuine Jerezian feeling.
SGP:461 - 86 points

Well, they did Marsala too…

Blair Athol 13 yo 2007/2021 (58.2%, James Eadie, Marsala cask finish, UK exclusive, cask # 3887, 314 bottles)

A UK exclusive this time! Marsala is great, it's just that we'd love to know about the kind of Marsala they've used, as there are literally dozens of them. White, red, seco, amabile, soleras… They even have Nero d'Avola. Colour: gold. Nose: I don't know if that's because Marsala is Italian, but what I first get is just a huge fresh panettone. While it's to be said that I am the Chairman of the Alsatian Panettone Club (quite). Wonderful raisins, orange blossom, sweet doughs… With water: breads and cakes, scones, muffins... Mouth (neat): excellent, rather tight, just a tad stuffy at first but that's because of the high strength. Panettone and focaccia plus some kind of allspice combo. Let's see… With water: raisins kicking in. I suppose it was sweet Marsala. But don't drown it, it is not a great swimmer and would become a little too tea-ish. Finish: long, caky. Comments: on second thought, I think I liked the amontillado a tad better. A matter of taste, both being technically perfect.
SGP:451 - 85 points

Perhaps try one that was made as Mother Nature intended…

Blair Athol 11 yo 2010/2021 (58.1%, Best Dram, refill hogshead, cask #300303, 298 bottles)

Ah, a good old refill hogshead… Colour: gold. Nose: lovely, with patchouli and pot-pourri at first, then teak oil, pinewood, cedar and bitter almonds. Was that short enough? With water: very close to some C/S officials that we could try at the Distillery. Vanilla and barley, with whiffs of shoe polish and metal polish. Reminds me of when my dear grandma was polishing the silver, which she would do each and every year. Cheers, Marie. Mouth (neat): some spicy oak at first (cinnamon and nutmeg), then light sriracha and satay. This one's clearly from the east of Scotland rather than from the midst of Perthshire. Ha. With water: very good, barley-y indeed, with some maple syrup and sweetened tea. Indeed, some people are adding sugar to their tea. Some sultanas. Finish: medium, rather on orange cakes. I'm afraid we'll have to mention panettone again. Comments: super extra-good. Extra-point for the polishes.
SGP:551 - 86 points

Blair Athol 9 yo (58.4%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #68.42, 'Cosy and Toasty', 28 Queen Street Exclusive, 286 bottles, 2020)

Toasts, but of course. Colour: gold. Nose: chalk and croissants, that's what I'm getting at full strength. A touch of wood varnish, perhaps. With water: some butter cream coming through. Some hay too, which I find very 'Blair Athol'. Reminiscent of those old official bottles, you would have had Dufftown (red label) and Blair Athol (blue label). Does that ring a bell? Mouth (neat): very good young sweet barley-y and cake-y malt, with some orange and bananas jam in the background. Simple pleasures, bottled. With water: excellent. Apple cake, orange cake, banana cake, toasts if we must… Finish: medium, kind of oily, on those various cakes. Which, I insist, is very Blair Athol. Comments: thumbs up!
SGP:541 - 85 points

Blair Athol 13 yo 2008/2021 (53.8%, Fable Whisky, Chapter Six, The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay, Crows, hogshead, cask #300529, 290 bottles)

Ha, literature, not always easy to follow. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: gooseberries and stewed rhubarb. We're close to the make this time. With water: oh these doughs. Mouth (neat): lovely apricot eau-de-vie and mirabelle. Lovely indeed but it's to be wondered if this one did not age in amphoras or in those large sandstone jars that some are using (which would be a great idea by the way, with all due respect to the SWA). With water: amazing complexity, many stone fruits, eaux-de-vie indeed, oils, seeds… Finish: medium, perhaps a little austere at this point. Chlorophyll. Comments: some wood's been used, obviously, but it is undetectable. Stunning work here, I would say this one's really been aged by time, and that no trees were harmed. Wouldn't this rather be the whisky of the future? Make whisky without trees?
SGP:551 - 87 points

Blair Athol 12 yo 2009/2021 (55.8%, Fable Whisky, Chapter Six, The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay, Crows, hogshead, cask #304771, 301 bottles)

I'll say it again, these labels are stunning. We're far from the very loud poppish ones that you can only really look at while wearing sunglasses. Colour: amber gold. Nose: exactly the opposite. Thick oils and polishes, jams and jellies, crystallised fruits (especially quince), kumquats and well-made rum. I would mention Foursquare. With water: acetone and walnuts! Mouth (neat): oh! Wood oils, heavy teas, pu-ehr, cedarwood, pencil shavings (wood and lead), then heavy fino sherry, vin jaune, mustard, walnuts… This has every aspect of sorcery. With water: extraordinary, if a little concoctiony. Gentian coming out, that's rather not a bad sign. Finish: long, leafy, wit even a touch of salt Manzanilla. Was it a sherry hogshead? A little aniseed and liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: was some A.I. involved? Aliens? Ghosts indeed? You say this was twelve-year-old Blair Athol?
SGP:562 - 90 points

What a series indeed. To be honest I haven't quite checked 'who', 'why', and 'how' yet (remember I remain an amateur), but this is getting really intriguing... Good, a last Blair Athol – let's make it a French one!

Blair Athol 13 yo 2007/2020 (46%, Whisky Lodge, Orcines, cask #435)

This by our friends in Lyons, capital city of the Gauls. A city irrigated by three major rivers as they say after a few glasses, the Rhône, the Saône, and Beaujolais. And now a fourth one, whisky… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: these Orcines are often rather crystalline, this is just another example. Pure barley spirit, with apple juice, pear juice, barley syrup and a minimal touch of vanilla. Plus vine peach juice, I would add. Mouth: unexpected saltiness, otherwise more apple, pear and peach juices. Millimetric, extremely barley-y. Finish: unexpectedly long, more on doughs, mint, liquorice and breads. A drop of pastis in the aftertaste, it's true that Marseille is not too far away. I mean, when you check a map of France from Alsace. Comments: I remember the owner of the Whisky Lodge and yours truly have been Keeperised at the very same moment. A ta santé, great drop!
SGP:651 - 86 points

That's nine BAs, that's enough. Cheers and pace. Hold on, there's more…

Blair Athol 20 yo 1995/2016 (50%, Hunter Laing, Old Malt Cask, sherry butt, cask # #HL 12149, 597 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: these older ones were nuttier, earthier, I would even add 'smokier'. Some herbal cordials too, amer bière, Fernet-Branca, Wulong… With water: extraordinary combo, with roasted peanuts, roasted raisins, and just satay. I'd kill a few racists for satay (of course not, I realise that was stupid, officer). But wow, raisins and peanut butter, utter sin. Mouth (neat): utterly excellent, very nutty, tobacco-y, meaty, with cigars and crazy coffees. Ethiopians. With water: some sour sweet wines, Banyuls, some mead… This part is a little more uncertain. Finish: medium, meatier. Marrow soup and smoked ham. Chicken stewed in beer, with raisins! Comments: it's always fantastic when you change category, after a bunch of young ones, however good those were..
SGP:552 - 88 points

That's ten, but I suppose we could have a very last one by HL…

Blair Athol 20 yo 1995/2016 (57.1%, Hunter Laing, Old Malt Cask, European Sherry Butt, cask #HL 12537)

Why they've added Boris to the label, I don't quite know, he wasn't even Premier yet when this was bottled, was he? . No politics in whisky, that's one of our mottos! Colour: amber. Nose: some pure praline, peanut butter indeed, glazed chestnut brittle, sesame oil and some kind of earthy thickish ale. When I retire, I'll learn about beer. With water: scoria, coal, walnuts, mustard, earth, fern, compost… Mouth (neat): huge, terrifying, pungent, raw. The grittiest, spiciest side of sherry. Huge green walnuts a.k.a. monster walnuts. With water: very aggressive, green, you could almost believe it was Caol Ila from a sadistic cask. Finish: very long, peppery, salty, really strange. Salted raisins. Comments: we've tried some pretty massive BAs, but this one takes the biscuit. Boy is it tough! Which would explain why they would have added Boris to the label. Looks like we've come full circle.
SGP:362 - 84 points

A session that went to eleven. It's been a little exhausting, to be honest, Blair Athol being neither Clynelish, nor Springbank. But we made it and I thank you for your ongoing support. CU, pace, salute and nazdrovie.

Check the index of all Blair Athol we've tasted so far