Balblair
15 year old
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Distillery:
Balblair
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Company:
Inver House Distillers
Parent Company
International Beverage Holdings
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Cask Maturation
Matured in Ex-Bourbon casks and finished in 1st-Fill Spanish oak butts.
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Strength
46% ABV
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Note
Natural colour
Non-Chill Filtered
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Distilled:
2004
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Bottled:
2019
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Price
70- 120
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Country:
Scotland
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Region
Highland
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Adres
Edderton, Tain, Ross-Shire, IV19 1LB, Scotland
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Website:
balblair.com
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Type:
Single Malt
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Volume:
70, 75 cl
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Age:
NAS
Taste note
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Colour:
Light Gold
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Nose:
Starts off with a barley and spice nose, deeper in you will find burnt oranges and mandarins. At the end some nuts and oak spices with a hint of burnt wood and brown sugar.
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Palate:
A strong, dry and bold single malt with a full mouthfeel. Citrus fruits, dried fruits and spices come to mind, with lingering sweetness. The lingering cinnamon and brown sugar develop on the palate with every sip. More dried fruits, clove, honey and caramel, also wood spices, gentle smoke and black pepper at the end.
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Finish:
Medium lingering finish with spices, oak, smoke and earthy aftertaste.
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Conclusion:
Definitely better than the 12 year old. The few years longer of maturation definitely was worth it. The somewhat higher ABV of 46% is a good thing giving it a fuller and stronger mouthfeel. I would prefer the 15 over the 12 year old. It offers more flavor and gives you more for complexity for the money you spend.