Balblair 15 Year

Nose: Apricot, tropical fruit salad, leather, coffee, malt extract, chocolate. Over time the nose develops dried fruit, baked banana and a note of tobacco. When watered, the leather and tobacco aromas are intensified and both orange and charred oak become apparent. Water harmonizes the nose but a drop too much will render it homogeneous and flat, so take care. Palate: A particularly spicy arrival with fresh ginger, hot cinnamon, anise and black pepper. Honey, oak, dark chocolate, caramel and mocha appear in the development but any more delicate flavours that may be present are masked by the strong tannins. Water improves the palate by modulating the spiky spices while bringing out red fruits and uncovering the spirit’s complexity. Finish: Medium/long. The big spice presence from the palate lingers into the aftertaste where it gives way finally to bittersweet malt. The finish is shorter if the whisky is watered but it makes the entire palate much friendlier. Water also evolves very pleasant milk and dark chocolate notes in the aftertaste. An interesting whisky but overly spicy for my palate. There is a lot of oak influence (too much in my opinion) and it makes the palate almost buzz with intensity. This is a boorish whisky that shouts at you for attention. The nose is very good either neat or diluted but for me the palate is flawed without dilution. Although this causes the nose to lose definition it allows more subtle flavours to surface, and this improves the overall experience. I was not very impressed when I initially tried it neat, but with a good dash of water I began to warm to it. This is the first time I’ve tasted Balblair since they ceased releasing vintage expressions and moved to a fixed core range of age-statement single malts. At the asking price there is no way I’d be buying this one. The official tasting notes and rating here on Distiller are pretty much on the mark if the whisky is only tasted neat, but I think it's worth a couple of percentage points extra once properly diluted. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)

I have this bottle open for a while now and it is a kinda hidden gem. Balblair as well recently changed their design and expressions where they use direct age statements now. Not many have discovered the new lineup yet and I hope that will change soon because the whisky they deliver is really really good. (Tip: check out their website) Nose: sherry forward but (my personal preference) with a very nice spicy foundation, the Highland DNA swings right along a very unique profile with raisins, dried orange peel, cooked cherries, maple syrup, warm honey and some well balanced winter spices (cloves, ginger, anise ...). It is very rich and on the more sweeter spectrum Palate: strongly caramelized citrus fruit (candied lemons and oranges), mature wooden tannins, brown cane sugar, dark chocolate, cooked rhubarb, dark liquid honey, burned malt Finish: rich, mature, flavorful, not too sweet, lots of wood and a dark sherry background, cold coffee grounds This is such a nice whisky. I like it that much that I sometimes in the future will get the 18y. I would really recommend trying a sample or getting a dram of it if you can. So far this is one of my favorite Highland whiskies for sure.

In high school, my best friend would put lemon pepper on everything he ate. He loved the stuff. Marc would love Balblair 15 for its citrus-spicey notes. On the nose, a sense of baking spices: allspice, cinnamon, cloves and... dare I say, cardamom? Yes, I dare. The first taste is overwhelming. Bold lemon, orange, and underripe kiwi linger with the warmth of a brick-lined fireplace. The warmth sticks around for a while without over-extending its welcome. The second sip... oh, that second sip... brings out rich lemon pie, fudge brownies, and a hint of walnut. And then, what's that?! The citrus fading! The black peppercorn returns and brings with it its friends leather, hickory wood, and Oregon pine. Then just sit back and wait as the tastes fade ever-so-slowly, leaving a delightful heat on the middle of the tongue. The food pairing for this one is critical. Wait for a brief but intense thunderstorm, then serve this with a a pan-seared red snapper, lightly sprinkled with lime and dried coriander seeds. Add a side of roasted potatoes with extra-virgin olive oil and a dusting of thyme and Maldon salt and a garnish of parsley freshly harvested from a northward-facing garden.

This whisky was only finished in ex-Sherry casks, and maybe it's because they are first filling, but on the nose you can feel them a lot: ripe fruit in profusion with peaches, plums and red fruits, nutmeg and a marked balsamic accent, sweet and fresh at the same time. Almost like a tart. Wood chips in the background. And the fruit remains queen also on the palate, a warm and dense scent of jam that permeates the mouth, with a touch of caramel and a light alcoholic puncture. Raisins, black cherries, red apple. Very full, on the threshold of tiredness. Still wood in counterpoint, with a touch of almond. The finish is quite long, dry and slightly acidic, of wood and candied fruit. A fruity bomb which, as such, can be very pleasing or completely repulsive. It is not a pimp, of course, but the sherried influence is perhaps a little invasive, at the expense of balance.

Sitting here during an East Texas thunderstorm listening to Haley Reinhart sipping on this wonderful Highland dram. Balblair 15 immediately punches you in the face with spices and peppery notes. This is quickly followed by a refreshing citrus and leather. But not just any citrus and leather. Hints of Calamansi limes coat the palate while hide of the rare Arabian horse (Equus ferus caballus) gives this pour a mouthfeel like no other. With a creamy finish of Jersey milk made from cows originally bred in the Channel Islands, Tahitian vanilla ice cream sourced from premium slow-grown, sun-cured vanilla beans and Devonshire luxury clotted cream, you can’t go wrong.

Whisky me pouch. Quite dark in appearance. Fruity nose that shouts Sherry. Rich, oily mouthfeel that hints at being fruity before the peppery spice takes over! Once the burn dies down the Sherry notes return, raisin, stone fruit and cinnamon. Plenty of dry, oaky notes. Lots of Sherry characters coming from that first fill maturation. If you don't mind a bit of spicy heat in your Whisky, like me, then this is well worth a try. Really enjoyable.