Balblair is one of those distilleries that I have a soft spot for, even though their whiskies don’t often end up on my shelf. Their official releases are quite hard to get in The Netherlands, for some reason, and unofficial ones aren’t that frequent either.

Then again, there’s always some gems to be ordered from abroad, and this 18 year old for Belgium is no different. Back when I ordered it its average score was a tad higher than it is now, but I know I have a soft spot for the distillery, so I figured I’d be fine anyway.

Let’s dive in!

Sniff:
Right from the start, there is a lot of oak, some white and black pepper and autumn leaves. A little bit of old coconut and a whiff of vanilla coming after.

Swallow:
The palate is quite dry and isn’t without a bit of bite. There is a little bit of bitterness, and it’s not an overly rich or heavy dram. In that, it fits the distillery style when combined with bourbon casks. Oak, dry leaves, some barley. Quite a bit of oak too. Some apples too.

Swallow:
The finish keeps going down the same street. No big surprises at all, it continues with hints of apple, oak, barley, leaves.

There are lots of little things going on, but that makes for a very complex and surprisingly balanced dram. I love that there is virtually no sweetness. I love these autumnal whiskies, especially when those aromas and flavors aren’t overpowered by massive sherry casks. In this case the balance between spirit and cask is quite spot on, which makes me love this dram! A shame it’s gone…

89/100