Strathmill 40 yo 1963/2003

Strathmill 40 yo 1963/2003

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Mahogany
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, leather, sherry, sandalwood, pears, toast, hints of smoke, hints of shoe polish.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, warm.
Tasting: Sweet. Pears, magic marker, peat, leather, peanut skins, hints of orange peel.
Finish: Long. Sandalwood, oranges, tea, candied winter melon.

Comments:

Cask #617, 444 bottles. Very interesting nose. The smell of tea smacked me in the nose, followed by sandalwood and a little smoke - burning incense, perhaps? Great leathery peaty notes in the taste, followed by more sandalwood and candied winter melon, something very Chinese in the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glen Ord 12 yo

Glen Ord 12 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - North Highlands
Gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, butter, oranges, pears, raisins, oak, hints of smoke, hints of tyre rubber.
Mouthfeel: Light body, very volatile, foggy.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Oranges, peat, lemons, balsamic vinegar, brine, sherry, hints of metal polish.
Finish: Medium. Salty, lemons, brine.

Comments:

Very light body, almost insubstantial in the mouth, despite the low-ish alcohol percentage. Some very salty notes in the taste, combined with something metallic and chemical. Preserved Moroccan lemons in the finish, although not quite as well-combined as with some other whiskies.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arran Single Cask 7 yo 1996/2004

Arran Single Cask 7 yo 1996/2004

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands (Arran)
Green gold
57.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rose, custard, condensed milk, bubble gum, chocolate bon bons, hints of toast.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens in the mouth, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet. White grapes, kiwifruit, rose, chocolate, condensed milk, hints of butter. More fruity with water, the rose notes become more prominent.
Finish: Short. Minty, kiwifruit, hints of salted fish.

Comments:

Something of a chameleon, this whisky. Starts out sweet and floral like a Lowlands, then becomes quite fruity, with big flavours, very Highland, and ends with a little fishy twist - and that is how you know it's an Islander. Very tasty variety of fruit and sweet things in the nose and mouth.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Edradour 30 yo 1973/2003

Edradour 30 yo 1973/2003

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Gold
53.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, custard, raisins, oranges, sherry, marmalade, hints of violets, hints of chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens fast, slightly syrupy, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet. Marmalade, rose, grass, sherry, condensed milk, hints of violets.
Finish: Long. Cedar, rose, marmalade, mint.

Comments:

Butt #97, bottle #346 of 539. Andrew Symington, the current owner of the distillery, found and bought back 3 casks of 30 yo Edradour from an independent bottler. This is one of the resulting bottles. Very light, classic Edradour mint and grass, allied to a thick layer of sweet fruit. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Highland Park 25 yo

Highland Park 25 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands (Orkney)
Amber
48.1% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Malty beer, raisins, peat, molasses, soy sauce, honey, hints of roast pork.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, thick, velvety.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Peat, vanilla, sugar syrup, sherry, apples, roast pork, hints of smoke, hints of metal polish.
Finish: Long. Mint, peat, sweet chilli sauce.

Comments:

Wow. Everything I like in a whisky - sweet savoury flavours with a hint of smoke, thick, velvety mouthfeel, long but interesting finish. Highly recommended, although it loses out to the 18 yo in terms of value for money.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 77.14 (Glen Ord 20 yo 1987/2008)

SMWS 77.14 (Glen Ord 20 yo 1987/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - North Highlands
Gold
59.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Milk chocolate, butterscotch, pear, raisins, rose, hints of lavender.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, velvety, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet. Butterscotch, raisins, pears, oranges, melon, hints of chilli, hints of hazelnuts.
Finish: Medium, fades quickly, hazelnuts, pears, tea, oranges.

Comments:

Very floral, fruity and smooth. Less sweet that it smelt, which was a slight surprise, but great mouthfeel. Weak finish, lingering, and teasing a little, because the faint fruit notes tantalised me into taking another sip. Easy drinking, despite the strength, and doesn't take water well.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Balblair Distillery

Balblair Distillery
Edderton
Tain
Ross-shire IV19 1LB

North Highlands, Scotland - Active

Flavour profile

My impression of Balblair is that it's chockful of fruit. Quite a lot of "yellow fruits" (as opposed to red fruits) - pineapple and lemon - and some floral elements that vary from whisky to whisky, and consequently I can't pin down. The fruit tends to be quite sharp, and the whisky quite tangy.

Slightly chaotic Wordle here, but it shows pineapples, apricots and lemons as major flavour elements. That's accurate for the 2 official bottlings that I've tried, at least, but for the Balblair 40 yo, there was a lot less fruit than more usual sherried whisky elements.


All the Balblairs I've tasted so far are here.

Balblair 1997 9 yo (1997/2007) - good
Balblair 40 yo 1965/2007 - very good
Balblair 1989 17 yo (1989/2007) - very good

Distillery history

The first licence was obtained by John Ross in 1790, but there had been distilling on Balblair farm for about 40 years before that. The distillery stayed in the Ross family until 1894, when it passed into the hands of one Alexander Cowan, and eventually to Allied Domecq, who then sold Balblair to Inver House Distillers. The distillery moved at some time early in its history, but it kept the same ownership, and moved only a short distance.

The distillery was silent from 1911 to 1948. In February 2007, all 8 age statement bottlings were discontinued and replaced with 3 vintage bottlings, 1979, 1989 and 1997.

Potted distillery facts

Water source: Allt Dhearg, 4 miles from distillery.
Washbacks: Six, Oregon pine, 22,000 litres each.
Wash stills: One, normal Dumpy neck, 19,093 litres.
Spirit stills: Two, normal Dumpy neck (old one no longer in use), the one in use is 11,044 litres, and the old one is 8,182 litres.
Spirit still Lyne arm: Almost a right angle
Production per year: 1,300,000 litres.

- The Scottish Whisky Distilleries, Misako Udo

SMWS 24.101 (Macallan 23 yo 1985/2008)

SMWS 24.101 (Macallan 23 yo 1985/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
52.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, bitter chocolate, caramel, vanilla, whipped cream, hints of cranberries.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, watery, loose, static.
Tasting: Sweet. Oak, vanilla, walnuts, orange peel, cinnamon, honey, hints of red grapes, hints of cranberries.
Finish: Short. Vanilla, caramel, marmalade.

Comments:

Lots and lots of oranges, almost like a Balvenie, except that the oranges are fresher, less peel. They are also mixed with sweet vanilla cream - like a creme anglaise. Lots of oak and wood in the taste, slightly nutty. So much wood that it's difficult to discern the flavours. At least the nose is great.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 7.36 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

SMWS 7.36 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

2007, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber red
53.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, custard, figs, dried apricots, caramel, honey, hints of anise.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly astringent, tingly.
Tasting: Sweet. Honey, mint, apricots, sherry, custard, hints of prunes.
Finish: Short. Mint, cool, chilli.

Comments:

It's been a long time since I had a Longmorn, and a while since I've had the sadly discontinued 15 yo. This one had a lovely, dark, syrupy colour - something that promises sherry, fruit and thick smooth whisky. Well, 2 out of 3 isn't bad I suppose. Surprisingly minty too, with a delicious chilli hit in the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 69.14 (Glen Albyn 28 yo 1979/2008)

SMWS 69.14 (Glen Albyn 28 yo 1979/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Northern Highlands
Pale orange gold
57.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, oranges, honey, sherbet, raspberry jam, hints of bacon, hints of strawberry.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Raspberry jam, bubble gum, vanilla, corn bread, kiwifruit, cucumber, hints of lemon, hints of cookie dough. Water makes the cucumber more obvious, quite refreshing, really.
Finish: Medium. Black tea, raspberry jam.

Comments:

Very complex, and not a little confusing. It's hard to describe. Neat, there's a lot going on the mouth, as can be seen by the long tasting note. Upon adding a little water, it became more vegetal and refreshing. It's a shame this distillery was closed (isn't it always?). This is my first Glen Albyn, and if it is representative of what whisky there is left, I'm sure I'll be a little wiser after every dram...

Verdict:

I like this.