balblair – grey whisky

Whisky 2020 – 45-49 (More iso drinks)

45 – Aultmore 11yr exceptional cask series

Nose is sugared almonds, cloves, gulab jamun and dried mango

Palate is light and airy with sugar sweetness, apple skin, rose petals, red berries and some milk chocolate

Finish is relatively complex and shows flintiness, candy, cream and bruised apples

***

46 – Balblair 2000 18yr Sherry Cask 46%

Nose of sultanas, caramel fudge, golden syrup, cloves in orange. Dried dark fruit, especially prunes and dates.

Palate pecan pie, vanilla bean cream and tobacco. Slight sulphur note.

Finish is warming think brandy cream sauce drenched Xmas pud and a handful of hay.

***^

47 – Inchgower 9yr by Cadenhead 56.5% (3y ex-bourbon 6y sherry)

Nose of warm date scones, honey, milk chocolate

Palate is of medium weight and starts with light maraschino cherry then honey, banana cake, salt, woody and a good lick of date syrup

Finish tea tannins, brown bread, touch of sulphur but a really lovely cranberry jelly note singing.

****

48 – Cardrona Oloroso Dramfest 2020 cask #735

Nose is really woody to begin, like fresh cut pine and balsa wood. Vanilla essence and dates.

Palate is hot and unbalanced. Eventually some cream, egg whites and cocoa notes. Maybe some dried fruit like fat sultanas.

Finish that pine note returns.

49 – Ledaig 2007 12yrs by Rest and Be Thankful sherry cask #700612 58.5%

Nose of honey comb, home churned butter, band-aids, river stones and tar.

Palate is autumn leaves, honey, salt, coal and plastic.

Finish more river stones and tar

***

Whisky 2020 – 19-24

19 – Glen Elgin 1995 by The Whisky Agency 23 years 48.2%

Nose is beautifully waxy and full of tropical fruits, river stones, marshmallow and green apricots. It is beautifully elegant.

Palate is initially sweet and pure and cheeky like raspberry lollies. Green grass, green mangos, cream which leads to riper mango flavours.

Finish is creamy and loooooong. Slight hints of salt, minerals and fruit.

****^

20 – Highland Park 2003, 14 years bottled for Duty Zero cask 6138

Nose is richly peated and sherried; like a beautiful smoked ham dipped in toffee. Walking through an orchard in autumn.

Loads of minerality on the palate, honey, toffee pecans and green sticks.

The finish is a lovely mix of charcoal and marshmallow

****

21 – Balblair 1990 by Kingsbury 23 years refill sherry cask 10116 52.9%

Nose honey, mandarin, leather, cloves, peanut shells. Very restrained.

Palate is powerful and eye opening. Honey and reserved citrus – like a citrus gel. Toffee and burnt caramel and apricots.

Finish waxy and gentle citrus.

****^

22 – Springbank 1991 by the whisky agency 27 years 46.4%

Nose is beautifully waxy and shows loads of fruit including apples, bananas and apricots. There is caramel and slight spice – some Springbank funk and old whisky smell.

The palate is rich and deep. Old apples, fruity, old and funky, waxy and pristine. Honey and super nutty. Wow there is some interplay between the elements.

But wow this finish is just nuts. It lasts for ever with mango and wax. Old whisky, candles and apples, dusty draws. It is elegant and pristine – the warmth of a smile from a girl in a summer dress.

*****

23 – SMWS 80.10 “Champagne and Roses” Glen Spey 11 years 55.8%

Nose is honey and floral, slightly nutty and toasted, pine resin

Palate is quite dry and hot … super biscuity, loads of shortbread. I understand why “roses” is in the title as it is slightly floral and rose hips.

Finish is green sticks, salt and slight cream

**^

24 – SMWS 9.167 “Part of the furniture” Glen Grant 23 years

I’m digging the nose apricots, hand cream and sticky date pud, maple walnuts

Palate is straightforward coffee, green grass, cream, green mango

Finish of chalk and tropical fruit

***

177 – Glenturret 31 Years 1986 by Cadenhead 44.5%
Nose – rose petals, stewed rhubarb, bees wax, spiced apples
Palate – stonefruit, bitter toffee, great sweetness, creamy, brandy snaps
Finish – dates, cream, coffee trifle

178 – Balblair hand filled 29/1/18 2006 cask 714 59%
Nose – hand cream, walnuts cooked in butter, apricot delight, pine resin
Palate – cream, passionfruit, apricots, raw dough, leather, hay
Finish – salted butter, old butter, racio funk (but not balanced)

179 – Springbank 9 2005 bottling by High Spirits “Lochs & Castles” Port finish
Nose – unmistakable springbank, funky medicinal dark fruit, dates, tar, heather, soy sauce
Palate – Old apples, cream, blackberries, kiwi fruit skin, dusty, manuka honey
Finish – Old apples, cream, pencil shavings, cherry coke, ash

180 – SMWS G7.10 (Girvan) The Texan Tea Party 31 years 1984 – Refill hogshead 59.2%
Nose – toast, caramel, stewed fruit, blood plums, banana, almond trees
Palate – woody and sugary fades away quickly, brandy snaps, chalk, marzipan, toffee,
Finish – cream, toffees, salted coconut cream

Whisky 2018 – 139-142

139 – Drunken Master Ben Nevis 1996 20 years Cask 1448
Nose – dusty caramel peaches, fruit leather, lemon zest
Palate – peaches, butter, green peanuts, bourbon cream
Finish – creme caramel, green vines

140 – Maltman Ben Nevis 1996 19 years for Shinanoya Cask 1673 Sherry Butt
Nose – musk, moss, oranges, milk chocolate
Palate – funky, woody, terrarium, terry’s chocolate orange, scorched almonds
Finish – woody, perfume, orange pith

141 – G&M Balblair 1993 24 years Sherry Puncheon Cask 18/006
Nose – chocolate, plums, honey, stone-fruit, wax,
Palate – coffee, Christmas spices, bitter cocoa, peanut brittle, bitter caramel
Finish – chinotto, shaving cream

142 – Drunken Master & Mash Tun Springbank 1992 25 years cask 151*
Nose – wax, wood, green figs, salt, gunpowder, dusty shelves, bruised apple
Palate – creamy, old leather couches, pencil shavings, carob chocolate
Finish – huge length with salty cream

Whisky 2018 – 6-12 G&M Tasting

6 – Gordon & Macphail Teaninich 2009/2017 8yo Refill Sherry Hogsheads 46%
Nose: apples, glue, box wood honey, soap, leather, sherry funk
Palate: roasted plums, Waldorf salad, bitter herbs
Finish: cream, dry Xmas spice, dashi

7 – Gordon & Macphail Tomatin 1997/2014 17yo Refill Bourbon Barrels 46%
Nose: vanilla cake, lemon butter, salt, peaches, fruit salad,
Palate: Great mouth feel, loads of fruit and melon (honeydew and rock)
Finish: Crushed ants, toasted almonds

8 – Gordon & Macphail Mortlach 15yo Refill Sherry Casks 43%
Nose: musk, green strawberries, soy sauce, hand cream
Palate: raisins, apple pie, sherry funk, white pepper, black beans
Finish: sherry, rubber

9 – Gordon & Macphail Ledaig “Hermitage Cask Finish” 2005/2017 12yo 45%
Nose: bacon, roasted carrots, medicinal, Cheetos, chlorine
Palate: intense apples, smoke, roasted capsicum, pencil shavings
Finish: Cheetos

10 – Gordon & Macphail Mannochmore Cask Strength 2006/2017 11yo Refill Sherry Butt 59.4%
Nose: lemon drizzle cake, menthol, rubber, soy, new sneakers,
Palate: dry, flinty, loads of fruits, honey, soy

Finish: sherry tannins, rubber, cream

11 – Gordon & Macphail Glenrothes Cask Strength 58.1% 2005/2017
Nose: honey, honey, honey, toasted coconut, coconut rough, crushed ants, grilled pineapple
Palate: honey, caramel, coconut, salted brown butter, loads of raisins and pastry with water
Finish: leather and dried tropical fruit, green mangos

12 – Gordon & Macphail Balblair for The Whisky Hoop refill bourbon 1996/2015 Cask 414 51.1%
Nose: chicos, milk chocolate, terry’s chocolate orange, candied lemon zest, meringue
Palate: pavlova, lemon zest, cream, honey, fruit cup
Finish: cream, heather

Whisky 2015 – 165-166

165 – SMWS 70.10 Teenage Shenanigans Balblair
Peach Melba, almonds, slightly gassy, marzipan. Such a great solid mouth feel. Green bananas, cloves and cinnamon, banana bread, slight tobacco and cream.

166 – Balblair 2000 Single Cask 1343 14 years distilled
Beef stock, maple syrup, tobacco, dark chocolate, chicos, brown butter, rose petals. Sarsaparilla, coke, vanilla, cream, pepper, cloves, wood, earl grey tea, slight burnt rubber finish.

Tag: balblair