Balblair 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl

Product Information

The early part of the 20th Century was a tough time for all Scottish distilleries, and in 1911 Balblair was forced to close its doors. It did not open again until World War II when it was used for a while as an army base. Even in that night in New York after tasting tens of whiskies, Balblair 15 caught my palate with the dance of flavors and its luscious palate.

I have a small love affair with 15 yo whiskies. For me, it is as if the little bit extra time in the wood adds something unique to the dram. Some of my favourite releases are 15-year-olds. Let’s see if this 15 yo also does that. Every Scotch whisky distillery is different. From its location and water source, to its still shape and wood policy. These are all determining factors in how a whisky tastes. Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”).

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Balblair makes use of several varieties of barley with minimal peat levels of 1-2 PPM, The company’s silos have a 30 tonne collective capacity, which means that the distillery can continue to operate self-sufficiently for up to 3 weeks even under the worst winter conditions. At Balblair, one tonne of barley is turned into just over 400 litres of spirit and about 1.3 million litres of new make spirit is produced annually. Matured initially in American oak ex-bourbon casks, the whisky is then transferred for a second ageing period in Spanish oak butts for exceptional complexity. Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates. The following year, the distillery was rebuilt at a new location just half a mile down the road – a strategic move to be closer to the Edderton Railway Station on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway line. However, although the new location was also close to a ‘burn’, the quality of the water was found not to be nearly as good as that of the distillery’s original source, the Allt Dearg, so the decision was made to continue using the water from the original burn. To this day, the Balblair Distillery continues to use this original water source.

Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products. The second run in Balblair’s revamped line of single malt is the 15 year old. The whisky sees a first stage of aging in ex-bourbon barrels, which is then transferred for a finish in first-fill butts of Spanish oak (essentially Sherry casks that weren’t used to age Sherry). Balblair 15 is bottled at 46% ABV. Unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise, your use of and membership to the Service are exclusively governed by Dutch law. We shall first try to settle any dispute over a dram of whisky. Disputes that cannot be settled over multiple drams of whisky shall be solely submitted to the court of Amsterdam, The Netherlands unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise.Taste: Velvety in texture, bursting with dark chocolate, tropical fruit and spices. A flavour which is subtly complex.

Final Thoughts: The 25-year-old whisky is better balanced than the 18-year-old. While it offers fruit both on the nose and palate, it has a tad too much oak and earth. Out of the Balblair collection, this age statement comes in second place. In short, the maturation period has created a well-rounded layered classic dram. The creaminess and the spiced fruity notes make it very accessible, at a reasonable price point. Nose: Honey greets the nose at the beginning. Orange, reminiscent of marmalade, mingles with cinnamon almost like a picturesque breakfast of the best french toast. However, there is a small touch of acetone underlying the whisky. Clove and mint slip in at the end.

Winner of 3 spirit awards

Not far from the distillery stands an ancient standing stone Clach Chairidh (Scots Gaelic: ‘sharp stone’). A landmark for over 4,000 years, it is also known as ‘ Clach Biorach’ or ‘ The Sharp Stone’, which was used as a meeting place by the ancient race known as the Picts. On the standing stone, they engraved an intriguing Z-rod symbol which is considered to denote the passage of time. Balblair 1993/2017 (49.6%, Gordon & MacPhail, Cask Strength, first fill sherry puncheon, cask #1964) - 101018

The Service has been prepared by us solely for information purposes to Members and the Service is based on information we consider reliable and we obtain the contents of the Service from a number of different third party sources (including Contributions), but we do not endorse, support, represent, warrant or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of the Services and any information therein. Final Thoughts: The nose is far more interesting, but it is a step above the 12-year-old. It has some harsh elements, but with a few drops of water they ease. On the other hand, water and ice numb any detectable flavor that is not oak. The nose has raisins and dusty malt, which is way more refined than its 12-year-old sibling. Cookie dough, sweet red apples, grapefruit zest and almond creates a joyful experience. The palate is oily and mouth-filling with dates, ginger and cinnamon cake. It carries a strong malty feeling with ripe stone fruits. The balance of spiciness and sweetness is well adjusted. The finish is very long with light tobacco aromas, orchard fruits, coffee, dried dates, traces of cranberries, dry Sherry and nutmeg. Verdict Balblair 1986/2017 (49.5%, Gordon & MacPhail, Cask Strength, for Whisky Show Old & Rare 2017, refill sherry hogshead, cask #12649) - 050318We may sell, license, transfer, assign or in any other way dispose of the Service (including Members) to any third party without any notification to you, e.g. (but without limitation) in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, merger or sale, or other transfer of assets. In the Glencairn glass, this whisky has a coppered look to it. Seeing as how that is somewhat darker than what I expect from even a 15 year old malt, I’m attributing it to the first-fill Spanish oak butts, with the fresher wood putting more color in. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, the remainder of the Terms shall continue in full force and effect. The Balblair collection is intriguingly complex and satisfying. We capture the intense esters at the start of the spirit cut to give our Whisky the core characteristics of apricots, oranges, spices, floral notes and green apples. The heavier oils and lipids at the end of the cut are also captured, giving leathery, nutty and full-bodied characteristics.”