The_Rev
Balblair 2003 1st Release
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
March 29, 2017 (edited March 16, 2020)
Balblair's Johnny-come-lately is this offering, bottled at 10 years old, but packing a decent punch for its youthful demeanor. Purely from 2nd fill bourbon casks, there's no surprise that bourbon notes like vanilla, chocolate, and coconut come to the forefront on the nose. On the palate, there's an almost surprising amount of substance - while refreshing, this is not a light, shrinking violet of a whisky. Instead a rather full, oily mouthfeel yields milk chocolate, vanilla, pineapple, light citrus, and white pepper notes. Really quite pleasant.
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I think Balblair falls into the same category as Old Pulteney, Tobermory and Scapa, to a certain extend - all rather dry malts, quite robust but defintely not mainstream. It is good to have them around, although I must admit that they don't suit my palate...