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Blair Athol 12 Year Flora & Fauna
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
August 28, 2019 (edited August 31, 2019)
Nose: Plum pudding, clootie dumpling, Christmas cake - anything with big cereal, fruity and sherried qualities. There's also malt extract, cigarette tobacco, leather and buckets of orange zest (it's a dark preserved orange aroma - not like fresh orange juice). As it develops, the nose acquires notes of black Chinese tea (Pu-erh or Keemun - it's not as smoky as lapsang souchong), a fermented hay note, and way in the back the scent of oak cask. It's a big, full nose.
Palate: Rich, creamy full-flavoured arrival. Spiced teacake, malt, dark earthy fruits. There's a strong sherry note present but it's dry rather than sweet - more amontillado or fino than oloroso, and certainly not PX). There's a smoky touch to the palate but it's not peat - ah! it's that Chinese tea again! This morphs into a cup of strong espresso with a twist of bitter orange peel, bittersweet dark chocolate, and walnuts on the side.
Finish: Medium. Malty with a lingering bittersweet and dry aftertaste. The dryness of a dry sherry.
A whisky that brings Glenfarclas somewhat to mind but it's drier, and there is less complexity but more density of flavour - I can only wonder what this would be like unchillfiltered, uncoloured and at 46% (probably wonderful). There is a notable heaviness to the texture, even at the comparatively low proof, and it is a satisfying dram. Don't add any water, it's not required.
This is the backbone malt in Bells blended scotch, which I happen to like, so that probably accounts for my affinity to it. In many ways Blair Athol 12 is like Bells "perfected" and without a grain element. It's a good whisky, and if it was about 25% cheaper it would find a permanent place in my cabinet, however as it stands it does not quite rate 4 stars.
Tasted from a 30ml sample.
"Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)
130.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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Yeah I wasn't a fan of this one but had a Hunter Laing 22 year 50% which was really nice. Hey as an aside I'm over in Perth and Melbourne in a couple of weeks. I found SMWhisky online which is AMAZING. Their samples are crazy good value. I picked up G&M samples if 30 year + Port Ellen, Brora and Dallas Dhu plus a whole lot of other great stuff waaay cheaper then MoM even excluding shipping, tax etc. I still have a bottle of 21 year Old Pulteney I should bring over and ship up to you if you were looking to purchase one at a decent price :-). No idea how much to send from Perth or Melbourne though.
@Slainte-Mhath Ah, that's the thing - I have a weakness for scotch & Coke (along with G&T my favourite warm weather long drink). Bells works a treat in that role, and is also quite inexpensive. Along with Loch Lomond Reserve it's my bottom-shelfer of choice. Also, the Australian SMWS Outurn for September was published today and they list an 8 yo Blair Athol matured in a re-charred red wine cask. Sounds intriguing.
@Rick_M No, thanks. It's usually not my style to bash whiskies, and I approach every dram with a positive attitude, but Bell's was disgusting. I wouldn't mind to pour it into Coca Cola, but I wouldn't drink it neat. Blair Athol Flora & Fauna on the other hand is a very decent dram. Pity that so much of it is wasted on Bell's.
Addendum: After rummaging through my stash I found I actually owned a 700ml bottle of this that I'd completely forgotten about! Having tasted it already I decided it was not really a long-term keeper so opened the bottle. I've now had half a dozen drams over the last two evenings and as I acquired the taste I came to like it more, however I'm not making any alterations to the comments or rating above. Good stuff, worth a taste, I'm enjoying it, but it's not an essential purchase. Leave this to the Flora & Fauna nerds so they can complete their collections :-)
@Slainte-Mhath needs to give Bells another look. He doesn’t know what he’s missing. :)