Balblair Decades

Balblair 2008, 14 years old, bottled at 58 % abv 

First things first: A “hand bottling”, available at the distillery, from a vintage 2008 Balblair that was bottled on 21 September 2022. Bourbon cask with the number 479. 

Upon Sipping: A naked Balblair, as opposed to the two sherried expressions we are going to taste later in this session. The nose opens on white grapes, fresh hillside meadows and whiffs of vanilla. As straightforward as they come. I loved the first vintage bottle that Balblair did, back in the day, that was an unassuming 1997 on bourbon casks. Just simple whisky for simpler days. This version in the glass is reminiscent of that. It offers relatively little, so let us see if the palate tells us more. Oh yes, vanilla and banana candy. A classic example of a ‘no fuzz’ naked single malt. Lots of vanilla but the Balblair spirit adds a fruity note that gives it a delightful freshness. With water, this Balblair 2008 manages to settle down a bit. It still will not blow you off your socks, but the fruity delight in the glass will please you on a hot Summer’s day in the garden. Lovely, spiced up finish too. 

Word to the Wise: Lunchtime malt, and since all three tasting notes of today were written around noon, it is the perfect opening salvo to this session.

Score: 84 points.

Balblair 1995, 25 years old, bottled at 56 % abv by Gordon & MacPhail

First things first: This Balblair was distilled on 19 June 1995 and bottled in August 2020. Cask 1686 was a refill sherry hogshead that produced only 106 bottles in the Connoisseurs Choice – Cask Strength Collection.

Upon Sipping: Refill sherry, according to the label, but the colour is still quite impressively dark. People who are sensitive for a little gunpowder and sulphur in their whisky, might want to be cautious with this one. There is quite the signature from that. Also, roasted nuts and lots of spices. Good character, but the cask is dominant here. Only with some air do a few fruity notes break through the wall of the more talkative elements of this Balblair 1995. It needs time to grow on me, but then it does. The taste is more elegant and fruity than I expected from the aroma. It has an edge, for sure, but also something sweet. Like smoky red fruit covered in dark chocolate. Water brings out some plums and marmalade, almost similar to the Balblair 1973 we are going to taste below. On the taste however, some bitter oranges emerge. These reprise on the finish. 

Word to the Wise: High quality Highland single malt, but maybe a tad modern? It is extremely good but it misses an element of surprise. 

Score: 88 points

Balblair 1973, 32 years old, bottled at 45 % abv by Gordon & MacPhail

First things first: This Balblair was distilled on 24 April 1973 and bottled in March 2006. Quite an oldy by any standard. Casks 3184 and 3185 were first fill sherry hogsheads and combined they resulted in 385 bottles in the Private Collection, a highly appreciated series by Gordon & MacPhail.

Upon Sipping: More than 30 years in these two sherry casks, what is left of the distillery character then? Well, on first whiff, I am not totally scared, there seems to be quite the balance between classic sherry notes and fruity spirit. Delicious strawberries, pancakes with maple syrup, furniture waxes, cigar leaves. This is a-okay! But then we take a sip and that tells a different story. The palate turns dry with dark wood and pure Latin American cacao. Quite the impact, while being 45 % abv. On repeated sipping, the dark forest fruits burst through, and suddenly I am craving a high tea session in an alley café somewhere in Tain. Put the marmalade on the table and enjoy! The finish is, for lack of a better word, incredibly smooth and rounded. Sherry monsters like this Balblair 1973 are not always the best swimmers, but we had enough of a sample to try a splash of water. Glad that I did, the fruit explosion on the nose is just a delight. Pure brilliance, not unlike better known examples from Glendronach and Longmorn. This one can compete quite easily. The taste loses some power though, so only if you attribute most value to the aroma of a whisky, I would recommend adding water.