So, the last of my Fable bottles. When I reviewed the second batch I got in for a tasting, things didn’t look too well. I thought the first bunch of bottles was awesome, but after the second one I am thinking I might have been over enthusiastic. Of course, they’re long gone, so I guess we’ll never know for sure.

When doing the second batch, I didn’t review the sherry cask Blair Athol for some reason. I did review the other five from bourbon casks. All rather similar, fairly bland whiskies with not many aspects to fall in love with. I guess the disappointment hurt the most.

Anyway, Blair Athol then. From a sherry cask. With another pretty label too. Generally, I think Blair Athol stands up to rich cask influences rather well. The spirit is quite tolerant without losing character all that quickly.

Sniff:
The nose has lots of milk chocolate and some dried fruits too. Plums and dates and apricots. Chocolate cake, warm barley.

Sip:
The palate has a bit more to offer. Dry heat, with lots of oak and a bit of barley. The dried fruit is present here too, but there’s a little bit more to discover in the oak and grain. Some pepper as well.

Swallow:
A rather hot finish, with some sherry cask notes. Lots of oak and dried fruit.

It’s all a bit shallow. Nice flavors but a very generic sherry cask whisky. Somehow, the Blair Athol whisky itself is playing third fiddle after the cask, and then more cask.

It still is quite an enjoyable dram, but it’s more a drinking whisky than a whisky to investigate. And for over a hundred bucks for a 12 year old Blair Athol, that’s just a bit too steep.

85/100