Reviews

The arrival is unassuming, light vanillaand a vague fruitiness. The arrival however is spectacular. Custard, Creme Brulee. Creamy fudge and toffee. Tart green apples, wood spice. Cocoa. White pepper. A wisp of char smoke. The wonderful Blair Athol signature is beautifully presented here.

The nose is understated; floral notes, mango and banana. On the taste it has a creamy, soft mouthfeel. Gentle tropical fruits and spongecake. There are no hard edges here despite the lack of age statement - it feels like there is some older whisky in this. There's a nicely balanced sweetness with a touch of sour in the development, with grass and cereal notes. The finish is a little dry and short. Overall this is an enjoyably gentle and restrained dram. Maybe not for those that enjoy a little drama in their whisky, but its undeniably well put together.

Light ash nose. Sweet toffee and vanilla ice cream arrival. Lemon cake. Uncomplicated but very approachable especially after a teaspoon of water to high proof down a little.

The nose hits with a strong herbaceous funk. Damp wood, dates and walnuts. Toffee and brown sugar. A creamy, full bodied arrival of vanilla, sweet pears, oranges and apples. Summer flowers. The development turns dry and brings baking spice and rhubarb. The finish is medium in length and has lingering white pepper notes.

The palette follows the nose on this one. Banana, honey and vanilla. Gentle wood spices. Pears apples and light citrus fruit. The gentlest hint of peat. Not particularly memorable or challenging, but undeniably pretty and drinkable. Nicely balanced as you’d expect from a Japanese blend. Would make a fantastic first whisky recommendation for a beginner. Hard to dislike.

On the nose - citrus fruits, vanilla, green herbaceous notes and the faintest wisp of smoke. Arrival - a big burst of oranges and red fruits. Toffee and creamy fudge. Despite the hefty 59.1% there’s no harshness, but a little water definitely helps open up the flavour. There’s a pleasant sour edge to the finish, nicely balanced with lingering sweet, dark fruit. The worst thing about this whisky is they only made 114 bottles. If you see one, grab it!

A gentle ashy peat comes in first on the nose, followed by green apples, honest and vanilla. The arrival is sweet and creamy, with big caramel and toffee flavours combining elegantly with the salty peat influences. There’s a minty development with a fennel note and the finish, although not long, continues the balance between the phenols and the sweet orchard fruit. An underrated, tasty dram.

Nose Honey and sweet vanilla beautifully balanced by ash and seaweed. Taste Oily mouthfeel, thick and creamy arrival. Black pepper and salt. Toffee. Grilled ham and pineapple. Chilli spices. Strawberries. Finish Long. Very long. The saltiness and sweetness persist, with a hint of dark chocolate coming into the mix. This is made with predominantly peated barley, but it’s so beautifully balanced and integrated that it definitely can’t be described as a peat monster. A quite spectacular cask-strength whisky.

The nose has cereal, mint and biscuit notes, along with a floral undertone. The arrival brings intense orchard fruits, and toffee and brown sugar in spades. A strong note of almond emerges in the development and finish. A great example of bourbon cask maturation - a real toffee bomb. And, for now at least, fantastic value.