Distillery: Balblair. Region: Highlands. ABV: 46%. Age: about 12 years. Price: $60-70.

Balblair is a Highlands distillery I paid too little attention to until recently, and I’ve been glad to make up for lost time.

Distillery General Manager John MacDonald, who has headed up the Edderton-based operation since 2006, selects and releases vintages marked by year of distillation, rather than age.

The 2003 vintage is an excellent place to start–especially if you like your single malt on the spicy side. The nose has ginger, white pepper, lemon zest, and oak. Then apricot danish. On the palate, there are stewed pears, honey, then white oak, all in a seamless progression. The body is buttery–the 46% ABV serves it well. Candied citrus bourbon notes throughout, and lingering spice on the end.

A delicious introduction to Balblair’s current lineup. Cheers, friends! – BO

Buy Balblair whisky online at Mash + Grape

A company representative graciously provided a sample for review. As always, our opinions are 100% our own.

Distiller: Balblair. Region: Highlands. ABV: 46%. Age: about 15 years. Price: $70-80.

It’s been a pleasure tasting my way through recent releases from Balblair, the northern Highlands distillery that proudly declares vintage years on its squarish bottles in place of age statements. This 1999 vintage was no exception.

The younger ’03 vintage, which you can think of as “Balblair 101” (as in “intro to,” not proof), was spice-forward in a very appealing way. The ’99 is too.

It starts with the loamy, mineral note–could it have been matured in ex-Dickel barrels? That’d be my guess. White, dry, gingery nose. A bit like the eye-opening Craigellachie 19, minus the spritz of sulphur. Lovely oily body with a balance of honey, malt, and spice. Finish: orange marmalade on toasted rye bread. Very nice!

If you overlooked Balblair in the past, you shouldn’t. If you’ve had it, let us know what you think!

Cheers, friends! – BO

Buy Balblair whisky online at Mash + Grape

A Balblair representation graciously provided a sample for review. As always, our opinions are 100% our own.

Distiller: Balblair. Region: Highlands. ABV: 46%. Age: 25 years. Price: $125.

Balblair’s 1990 vintage is a quarter-century of bourbon-matured, sherry-finished goodness in a modest square lozenge of a bottle–inspired by Clach Biorach, a 4,000-year-old Pictish stone in the town of Edderton, where Balblair is based.

The 1990 is aged roughly 23 years in ex-bourbon barrels, then spends its final two years in ex-sherry butts. The result takes the same rich and spicy Highland profile I’ve enjoyed in the ’03 and ’99 vintages a step further.

The 1990 starts with a nose of stewed figs and black cherry. Rich and substantial. The sherry influence is distinct, but on the drier side, with dark toasted tobacco.

Palate: rum-soaked Christmas fruitcake. Nutmeg and allspice. Fresh pencil. (Yep.) The finish is very long, with dark chocolate, red peppercorns, and burnt pie crust.

If you’re a bourbon fan, think of this as the Rhetoric 21 of sherried single malts. If you’re not a bourbon fan, rest assured that’s a very good thing.

A top-notch release from a distillery that deserves more attention. Cheers, friends! – BO

Buy Balblair whisky online at Mash + Grape

A company representative graciously provided a sample for review. As always, our opinions are 100% our own.