Rosencrantz
Balblair 15 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
March 21, 2020 (edited August 26, 2021)
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.
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@cascode yes, I was asking @Rosencrantz because I wanted to compare. I loved the 1999 as well.
Who knows, I maybe lucky one day... maybe...
@PBMichiganWolverine @Rosencrantz The vintage edition Balblairs you'll find on a shop shelf now (unless you're very lucky) will be the expressions that were not so popular, like the 2004/2014. Real stunners like the 1975/2012 only live on auction sites now. @Telex I had a bottle of both the 1999 2nd and 3rd releases. Very Good whisky, the 2nd release being a notch better than the 3rd (but were talking like 86/100 vs 85/100). Same ball-park as this 15 year old non-vintage.
@Rosencrantz some of their older vintages are impossible to find now. Probably only in secondary markets
@Telex, nope, I still didn't have a chance to try their old vintage lineup, I hope I will soon.
Have you by chance had the old fifteen year old from them? Balblair 1999 2nd release? I was wondering if it was extremely similar, or not as good.