Balblair 15 Year

In high school, my best friend would put lemon pepper on everything he ate. He loved the stuff. Marc would love Balblair 15 for its citrus-spicey notes. On the nose, a sense of baking spices: allspice, cinnamon, cloves and... dare I say, cardamom? Yes, I dare. The first taste is overwhelming. Bold lemon, orange, and underripe kiwi linger with the warmth of a brick-lined fireplace. The warmth sticks around for a while without over-extending its welcome. The second sip... oh, that second sip... brings out rich lemon pie, fudge brownies, and a hint of walnut. And then, what's that?! The citrus fading! The black peppercorn returns and brings with it its friends leather, hickory wood, and Oregon pine. Then just sit back and wait as the tastes fade ever-so-slowly, leaving a delightful heat on the middle of the tongue. The food pairing for this one is critical. Wait for a brief but intense thunderstorm, then serve this with a a pan-seared red snapper, lightly sprinkled with lime and dried coriander seeds. Add a side of roasted potatoes with extra-virgin olive oil and a dusting of thyme and Maldon salt and a garnish of parsley freshly harvested from a northward-facing garden.

Sitting here during an East Texas thunderstorm listening to Haley Reinhart sipping on this wonderful Highland dram. Balblair 15 immediately punches you in the face with spices and peppery notes. This is quickly followed by a refreshing citrus and leather. But not just any citrus and leather. Hints of Calamansi limes coat the palate while hide of the rare Arabian horse (Equus ferus caballus) gives this pour a mouthfeel like no other. With a creamy finish of Jersey milk made from cows originally bred in the Channel Islands, Tahitian vanilla ice cream sourced from premium slow-grown, sun-cured vanilla beans and Devonshire luxury clotted cream, you can’t go wrong.

Elegance in a glass. Im sorry, but a 78 rating, you're not judging it correctly

I have this bottle open for a while now and it is a kinda hidden gem. Balblair as well recently changed their design and expressions where they use direct age statements now. Not many have discovered the new lineup yet and I hope that will change soon because the whisky they deliver is really really good. (Tip: check out their website) Nose: sherry forward but (my personal preference) with a very nice spicy foundation, the Highland DNA swings right along a very unique profile with raisins, dried orange peel, cooked cherries, maple syrup, warm honey and some well balanced winter spices (cloves, ginger, anise ...). It is very rich and on the more sweeter spectrum Palate: strongly caramelized citrus fruit (candied lemons and oranges), mature wooden tannins, brown cane sugar, dark chocolate, cooked rhubarb, dark liquid honey, burned malt Finish: rich, mature, flavorful, not too sweet, lots of wood and a dark sherry background, cold coffee grounds This is such a nice whisky. I like it that much that I sometimes in the future will get the 18y. I would really recommend trying a sample or getting a dram of it if you can. So far this is one of my favorite Highland whiskies for sure.

Prominent nut aroma on the Node, likely due to the Jerez cask. Light to medium sweetness and fruity notes on the palate, full-bodied. Herbal notes on the finish.

This whisky was only finished in ex-Sherry casks, and maybe it's because they are first filling, but on the nose you can feel them a lot: ripe fruit in profusion with peaches, plums and red fruits, nutmeg and a marked balsamic accent, sweet and fresh at the same time. Almost like a tart. Wood chips in the background. And the fruit remains queen also on the palate, a warm and dense scent of jam that permeates the mouth, with a touch of caramel and a light alcoholic puncture. Raisins, black cherries, red apple. Very full, on the threshold of tiredness. Still wood in counterpoint, with a touch of almond. The finish is quite long, dry and slightly acidic, of wood and candied fruit. A fruity bomb which, as such, can be very pleasing or completely repulsive. It is not a pimp, of course, but the sherried influence is perhaps a little invasive, at the expense of balance.