Balblair 12 Years Old 2002 Bourbon Cask #680 – Distillery Edition

Highland single malt scotch whisky

58% ABV, £90 for 70cl

Score: 86/100

What they say:

Distilled in 2002 at Balblair distillery, this has been matured for 12 years in an ex-bourbon cask. Available as a bottle-your-own exclusive at Balblair distillery.

What I say:

Dram #1 presented at the Edinburgh Whisky Blog’s Movember fund-raiser event hosted at Ruffians Barber Shop in Edinburgh. Sadly we arrived a little too late and missed the hickory-smoked cocktail presented by Alan and Martin of Solid Liquids. We did however make it just in time to get a dram of this hand-filled exampled from Balblair distillery, where EWB’s Chris had recently had fun rolling barrels!

Colour:

Full amber gold

Nose:

Undeniably vanilla cream, custard and crème brulee, sweet iced pastries, heather honey, cereal barley malt

Taste:

Creamy vanilla, custard, some cinnamon Danish pastries and iced buns, sweet heather honey, some drier grassy/hay, cereal barley, butterscotch, fudge

Finish:

Short-Medium, sweet vanilla, toffee oak notes persist

Overall:

A fantastic starter dram, this bourbon-matured example from Balblair was full of rich vanilla cream and other sweet pastry notes, the oak wood tempered the sweetness in the finish.