Angus’s Nook From our correspondent and expert taster Angus MacRaild in ScotlandFour Balblair  One of many names that at all times appears to collect reward and goodwill right here at Whiskyfun. Thanks largely to some persistently characterful and charming distillate, many nice bottlings through the years, a particularly bonnie distillery and, most significantly, pretty those that at all times make you’re feeling very welcome everytime you go to. It will not be essentially the most thrilling or most cult identify in whisky, nevertheless it’s moderately not possible to give you too many quibbles about Balblair. 

Balblair 7 yo ‘Batch 1’ (49.9%, That Boutique-y Whisky Firm, bottled 2019, 1305 bottles)
Color: very pale white wine. Nostril: pure barley eau de vie, as we frequently say on these pages. Additionally, unarguably near new make, however Balblair is such an enthralling and fairly distillate that it holds up. Numerous lemon barley water, minimize grass, gooseberry, soda bread and putty. Summer season whisky! Mouth: undoubtedly moderately new-makey, and maybe much less convincing than on the nostril right here, actually getting grassy, austerely spiritous and within the route of underripe cider apple and petrol. End: medium, sharp, very citric, grassy and virtually with acidity. Feedback: a whisky that’s actually extra for mixing right into a highball maybe, nevertheless it reveals Balblair’s undercarriage moderately properly. 
SGP: 441 – 80 factors. 

Balblair 2005/2021 (48.5%, OB for The Whisky Change, cask #213, 180 bottles)
Color: brilliant straw. Nostril: very classical trendy Balblair, all on inexperienced and orchard fruits, with some lemon curd, IPA, just a few white flowers and in addition a properly honeyed observe that makes me consider mead. With time it actually begins to give attention to baked apples and custard. Mouth: a bit drier, rawer and extra peppery than anticipated, however in any other case the whole lot is as a substitute. Identical inexperienced fruits, some dried banana, some muesli, grapefruit and gooseberry. A whisky that’s moderately stuffed with issues that make you consider breakfast. Additionally cereal notes – ha, the ability of suggestion. End: medium, peppery and barely sappy with some pithy citrus notes and bergamot. Feedback: what I’m curious to know is did they cut back this to 48.5%? Or is that cask power? I favor the nostril, however total it’s a really trustworthy, straightforward and fruity Balblair. 
SGP: 551 – 86 factors. 

Balblair 23 yo 1998/2021 (50.5%, Gordon & MacPhail ‘Connoisseur’s Alternative’, cask #1075, 1st fill barrel, 170 bottles)
Color: pale gold. Nostril: mead, guava, dried mango and olive oil combined with honey. Very direct, rapid and extremely pleasurable, if considerably compact in its profile. Continues with a bit gorse flower and a few delicate waxy notes. With water: actually focussed on numerous honeys, particularly of the flower and heather varieties. Extra mead, waxes and impressions of white balsamic and mint tea. Mouth: glorious arrival, waxes and shoe polish up entrance, with many things like previous leather-based, camphor, tinned peaches, dried flowers and crystallised unique fruits. Additionally cedar, coconut shavings, unlit cigars and dried tarragon. Undoubtedly displaying extra complexity on the nostril, however nonetheless retaining this core mature fruity character. With water: fir sap, spun brown sugar, natural bitters and wee notes of cough medicines and additional impressions of boot polish and waxes. End: good size, stuffed with dried pollens and crystallised previous honeys, plus some aged candy Riesling for good measure. Feedback: you would be forgiven for pondering it’s each older than its acknowledged age and distilled in a earlier decade. Love this very focussed, moderately mature fashion that continues to be largely about honey and dried fruits. A number of notches extra complexity would have propelled it previous the 90 mark, however I’m being extraordinarily stingy actually, it’s a wonderful dram. 
SGP: 651 – 89 factors. 

Balblair 27 yo 1993 (60.2%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society #70.42 ‘Elegant, Darkish and Stormy’, refill bourbon barrel, 180 bottles)
Color: pale gold. Nostril: crisp but additionally greenly fruity with chlorophyll, gooseberry and sharp inexperienced apple. A bit of broader and extra highly effective in profile than the 98 at first I might say. Beneath that there’s wee hints of custard made with sauternes, lime, lemon curd and vanilla shortbread. The fruit notes preserve coming, which I discover extraordinarily ‘Balblair’. With water: lemon powder and freshly baked pastries! Certainly, it turns into typically extra citrus-driven and waxy with some good wee coastal inflections within the background. Mouth: beautifully syrupy in texture up entrance, extra pure dessert wine and honey impressions, then candy cereals, tropical fruity IPA beers, heather honey and camphor. Massive, fruity East Highland malt whisky! With water: great texture now! Filled with honey, candy wines, camphor, olive oil, muesli and caramelised oatmeal. Nonetheless retaining this very beneficiant, very ‘Balblair’ inexperienced and yellow fruitiness. End: good size, some mineral oil, some sandalwood, evenly sappy inexperienced fruitiness, hessian and lanolin. Feedback: an ideal cask the place the wooden is gentle sufficient that the Balblair fruitiness has actually been concentrated through the years and the ability behind it actually makes it kick! Terrific enjoyable, high-quality and nice choice. 
SGP: 652 – 90 factors.