Knob Creek 9 yo

Knob Creek 9 yo

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, bananas, honey, melons, vanilla, hints of peaches. With water, white grapes, more peaches.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Sweet. Chillies, bananas, honey, melons, peaches, hints of toffee, hints of golden syrup. With water, white grapes, corn syrup, more peaches.
Finish: Long. Brown paper, chillies, toffee, melons.

Comments:

Bourbons tend, to my palate, to be very estery, with loads of banana and brown paper flavours. There's a lot of that in this one, but there's something more. Melon flavours are esters too, and those are present in great quantity here. The bourbon is sweet, with an engaging spicy hint on the tongue.

Verdict:

I like this.

Jura Elements (Water) 1989

Jura Elements (Water) 1989

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Amber
49.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, vanilla, winter melon, vanilla, pine, honey, hints of golden syrup, hints of coconut.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns watery, loosens, cool.
Tasting: Sweet. Winter melon, vanilla, honey, golden syrup, hints of brown paper, hints of walnut skins.
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, brown paper, winter melon.

Comments:

For an expression styled "Water", the whisky doesn't actually need any water! There are few hints of its Jura origin, with some pine present only in the nose. The floral chemical notes have been transmuted to something resembling winter melon (not too sweet, harsher than say honeydew melons). Interesting Jura.

Verdict:

I like this.

Blair Athol Distillery

Blair Athol Distillery
Perth Road
Pitlochry
Perthshire PH16 5LY

Central Highlands, Scotland - Active

Flavour profile

Blair Athol is a whisky where a simple core is hidden under a veneer of complex flavours. The core consists of something leathery, maybe slightly bitter and hoppy. I suppose where I say "leather" I really mean light peat. The tannic scent that infuses Blair Athol whisky (for me) isn't really strong enough to count as peat, certainly not the full-fledged peat one gets in Islay whiskies. Instead, it's gentle, subtle, a little whiffy, like the inside of a new car, or a leather wallet.

This is further leavened and hidden by a citric tang. In different Blair Athols I've found that this can take several different guises (orange juice and lemon juice, as well as peaches). There are several other sweet fruity notes, among them vanilla and raisins, that also soften the leathery flavours.


All the Blair Athols I've tasted so far are here.

Blair Athol 12 yo Flora & Fauna - good
Blair Athol 12 yo 1993/2006 - very good
Blair Athol 12 yo 1993/2005 - good
Blair Athol 13 yo 1993/2006 - ok

Distillery history

Blair Athol was founded in 1798, as Aldour distillery, by John Stewart and Robert Robertson. The distillery was renamed Blair Athol in 1825 by Robertson. It eventually passed to Alexander Connacher & Co, to Peter Mackenzie & Company, which eventually became part of Arthur Bell & Sons, which in turn became part of Guinness and thence Diageo. The distillery was silent in 1832 (possibly until 1860) and again from 1931 to 1949.

Besides the 12 yo Flora & Fauna expression, there aren't many other official bottlings. Diageo released a 27 yo cask strength malt, distilled in 1975, as part of its Rare Malts series in 2003. The whisky is a major component of Bell's (but of course!).

Potted distillery facts

Water source: Allt Dour, a burn running through the distillery grounds
Washbacks: Eight. Four, stainless steel, two 25,000 litres, two 30,000 litres, and four, larch, 18,000 litres
Wash stills: Two, normal neck, 13,000 litres
Spirit stills: Two, normal neck, 11,500 litres
Spirit still Lyne arm: Slightly descending
Production per year: over 1,000,000 litres

- The Scottish Whisky Distilleries, Misako Udo

SMWS 39.61 (Linkwood 11 yo 1996/2007)

SMWS 39.61 (Linkwood 11 yo 1996/2007)

2007, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pale copper
55.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, strawberries, bubble gum, apples, raisins, hints of leather. With water, pears, magic marker.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly oily, warm, tingly.
Tasting: Sweet. Vanilla, strawberries, apples, black tea, raisins, hints of leather. With water, pears, magic marker, hints of olive oil.
Finish: Medium. Black tea, apples, strawberries.

Comments:

Sweetly perfumed, if a little odd with water. This whisky actually tastes stronger, once a little water is dribbled in. I associate impressions of strength with a higher solvent-y scent - in this case, the acetone present in magic marker, which bursts out of the whisky upon addition of water. Interesting stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 27.74 (Springbank 12 yo 1996/2008)

SMWS 27.74 (Springbank 12 yo 1996/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Pale brown
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Soap, smoke, hazelnuts, smoked ham, wool, molasses, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns watery, loose, slightly astringent.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Smoke, lemon sweets, molasses, hazelnuts, smoked ham, wool, soap, hints of kiwifruit.
Finish: Medium. Soap, wool, smoke.

Comments:

Smoky, with big huge meaty notes. Lambs wool and soap may not be to everyone's taste, but they definitely signify Springbank. This whisky also has a sweet bite to it, like a very good, thick, dark rum.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 18.26 (Inchgower 23 yo 1985/2008)

SMWS 18.26 (Inchgower 23 yo 1985/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Copper penny
48.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, vanilla, condensed milk, raspberries, orange peel, hints of new plastic, hints of rubber.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, cool, then tingly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Oranges, lemons, orange peel, condensed milk, vanilla, raspberries, brown paper, new plastic.
Finish: Short. Brown paper, orange peel, condensed milk.

Comments:

Reminds me of Marks & Spencer's victoria sponge! Cakey and jammy, lots of cream somewhere in the middle. This whisky would make an unusual but satisfying dessert, or even a digestif. Not too sweet, but that makes it all the better.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Dailuaine 13 yo 1991/2005

Dailuaine 13 yo 1991/2005

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Yellow gold
43% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Raisins, lemons, orange peel, magic marker, brass polish, grass, hay, daisies.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, cool, thickens slightly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemons, orange peel, honey, grass, hay, magic marker, brass polish, hops.
Finish: Medium. Cream, lemons, walnut skins, hops, honey.

Comments:

Rather bitter, and slightly tart. Set against that, there are many strong whiffs of sweet fruity flavours. An odd whisky, tingly and prickly on the tongue, yet cool and refreshing. No good with water, but yet tastes stronger than it actually is. A dram of many contradictions.

Verdict:

I like this.

Brora 20 yo 1982/2002

Brora 20 yo 1982/2002

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - North Highlands
Bright gold
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Lemons, leather, peaches, raisins, peat, hints of kiwi fruit.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool.
Tasting: Sweet. Lemons, brown paper, peat, rubber bands, leather, peaches, oranges, hints of brass polish.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, brass polish, peaches.

Comments:

This is a pleasant surprise! Very refreshing, yet punchy with peat, leather and loads of fruit. There's a peachy hint that's reminiscent of very ripe nectarines, which goes nicely with a citrus bite. This could be stronger, but it's almost perfect.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 80.5 (Glen Spey 20 yo 1985/2005)

SMWS 80.5 (Glen Spey 20 yo 1985/2005)

2005, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Silvery gold
52.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, toast, butter, antiseptic, hints of marzipan, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, slightly tingly, hot.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Oranges, vanilla, honey, butter, marzipan, burnt sugar, brown paper, sherry.
Finish: Medium. Chillies, burnt sugar, honey, vanilla.

Comments:

Sherry?! Where does this come from? The whisky is from a refill hoggie! It's definitely there though. This whisky is confusing - there's a bitter burnt sugar edge to it, with sharp poky elements of antiseptic and chillies, but swimming in sweet soft notes like honey, butter and vanilla.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 38.16 (Caperdonich 12 yo 1994/2006)

SMWS 38.16 (Caperdonich 12 yo 1994/2006)

2006, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
58.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Molasses, dried coconut, lemon sweets, roast pork, bacon, honey, hints of smoke. With water, sweeter, hints of burnt rubber.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Bacon, molasses, raisins, honey, glace cherries, hints of smoke. With water, sweeter, burnt sugar.
Finish: Long. Burnt sugar, honey, roast pork.

Comments:

Sweet salty, with big delicious meaty notes. Very appetising, if a little odd with water. This is a whisky that gets the juices flowing just before dinner. Something to appreciate before a large steak!

Verdict:

I like this.