Thanks to the generosity of The Doctors Springbank, I was able to try Balblair 18 year old, 21 year old, and 25 year old side by side. They all have the same professional presentation (46abv/nc/ncf), and similar primary and secondary maturations (American oak, then Spanish oak butts). Probably due to its relative youth, the 18 year old has the best balance of spirit and oak; meanwhile, the 21yo flashes tropical fruits on its stellar nose. Would the 25 year old measure up to its dispiriting (especially in the USA) price tag, whomping the 18 and 21???
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e150a? No
NOTES
The nose immediately feels heftier with its toasted oak resting upon the fruits and florals. Eucalyptus, walnuts, and talcum powder up top. Apple cider, orange candy, and baked pear in the middle. Anise somewhere around the edges. Curiously, this nose peters out faster than the 18's and 21's. The sweet and spicy palate mixes nectarines with ginger powder, apple sauce with lime juice and cayenne. Near the 30 minute mark, California pinot noir pushes right to the fore. It finishes with the nectarines, apples, and limes, though toasted almonds and wine-like tannins stick around the longest.
WORDS WORDS WORDS
It's a good thing that wealthy folks like oak, because that's what the current whisky market offers for the dollar/pound/euro/etc. I like this 25, but the tropicals are gone, the stone fruits make only brief cameos, and something winey starts happening in the mouth. It's also missing the stamina that the 18 and 21 possess. Unless someone needs a tannin fix baked into their Balblair, I'm not sure what the draw is with this whisky. You may even be able to buy the 15, 18, and 21 for about the same price as one bottle of the 25.
Pricing - Europe: $425-$625 w/o tax, and USA: $600-$800 w/o tax
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