...where distraction is the main attraction.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Balblair 11 year old 2006 cask 711, hand-filled at the distillery

Monday brought a winey sherried 2006 Balbair. Today I have for the benefit of us all a Balblair from an unstated cask type. It has some color to it, but not the dark maroon of Monday's cask. This particular pour comes from a bottle filled by the hands behind My Annoying Opinions. There's a problematic joke hiding in that previous sentence, but I'm no Randy Brandy so I'll avoid it. I'll just drink the whisky.


Distillery: Balblair
Ownership: Inver House (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Region: Northern Highlands
Age: 11 years old (2006-2018)
Maturation: unknown....
Cask #: 711
Exclusive to: the distillery!
Alcohol by Volume: 58.2%
(thank you to My Annoying Opinions)

NOTES

Shortbread biscuits, oranges and apricots arrive first in the nose. Hints of roses and lemongrass stay in the background. The fruits get louder once the whisky is reduced to 46%abv, followed by new notes of cardamom, mint chewing gum and grassiness.

The palate starts with barley (imagine that), lemons and oats. There's something earthy about it as well, though not quite smoky. Mild sweetness and oak spice color the background. It gets at nice thick texture when diluted to 46%abv. There are pears, apricots and honey. Almost brandy-like. A touch of dill in the back.

It finishes with lemon juice and lime lollies, sweeter than the palate but not too desserty. Pears, mint and lemons highlight the conclusion at 46%abv.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Balblair rolled this one out just before the oak started throwing 'bows, which shows they're willing to demonstrate some cask management even for the visitors! I like this stuff, as the fruit and grain balance well with the wood notes. Sir Opinions and I found very similar characteristics in the nose, but he found a bit more oak in palate. He picked a good one.

Next week, some older Balblair...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - probably the definition of an 87 rating