Balblair 1969 Gordon & Macphail

Balblair 1990 2nd Release

Have you seen the film The Angel’s Share? Then you have seen images of this Highland distillery. It is an odd one out as it does not use age statements on the label, but uses vintages. The current range consists of the 1965, 1975, 1978, 1989, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002. This Balblair 1990 is a duty free release, so not to be confused...

Score 81/100

Balblair 1997

Today’s entry is a mini of Balblair 1997 (bottled 2013), in the old bottling style with the embossed vine on the glass. The colour is a light gold. On the nose the dominant note is lemon meringue pie with a hint of peat (?), some herbs (parsley, sage) and overripe pear. Heather honey. Floral, a bit more so with water. Not demanding or challenging...

Score 93/100

Balblair 2003

I wanted to give this one a go, but I didn't want to buy a whole bottle of the stuff. So, luckily, I somehow bumped into a miniature and having no idea what to expect from the whisky, this is what I discovered... NOSE: alcoholic, raw, grappa-like. It's mellowed out a little bit by some vanilla. Bitter grapefruit rind and lemon pith. A hint of...

Score 73/100

Balblair 1990 Islay Cask 1466

Nose: This is a very different dram than the 1997 , and that can bee deduced from a wee sniff : heavier and darker with BBQed pears, leather , some dried fruit in the form of crushed dates and , smoked apples. earthier and heavier, not as fruity, but quite complex. Palate: Peaty! quite a lot of that actually, much more than on the nose with...

Score 92/100