Balblair Single Malt Whisky

Balblair

Region Highlands

District Nothern Highlands

Water source Ben Dearg

Neighbours The Dalmore, Glenmorangie, Teaninich

Owner Inver House Distillers

Manager Derek Sinclair

Visitor centre By appointment only.

Address Edderton, Tain
Ross-shire, IV19 1LB

Phone +44 (0)1862 821 273

Website http://www.balblair.com/

History 1790 : founded by John Ross
1824 : John was joined by his sun Andrew
1894 : taken over by Alexander Cowan
1948 : bought by Robert Cumming who promptly expanded the distillery
1970 : sold to Allied Distillers
1996 : bought by Inver House Distillers

House Style Medium-bodied and sweet with an occasional nuttiness.

Pronunciation bal-blèr

Meaning

Capacity per year 1.400.000 litres

Independent Bottler Adelphi
Cadenhead
Dewar Rattray
Gordon & MacPhail

Information One of the oldest distillery's of Scotland.

DISTILLERY BOTTLINGS

Balblair - Elements - no age statement - 40%
Colour:
Gold.
Nose:
Lightly salty and peaty. Black chocolate.
Palate:
Light shortbread. Creamy. Hint of raspberries. Spiciness emerging. Very slightly peppery.
Finish:
Dry.

Balblair - 10 year old - 40%
Colour:
Golden amber.
Nose:
Malty - all bran/shredded wheat, then a toffee-apple sweetness. With water there's dry oak and a light (attractive) earthiness.
Palate:
Medium-weight and quite sweet, it sits on the toungue nicely with light oakiness on the sides. Toffee-soft and easy with touches of buttered fruit loaf.
Finish:
Light, dry and creamy .

Balblair - 16 year old - 43%
Colour:
Amber with golden highlights.
Nose:
Light, quite lush and fruity. Medium sweet, softly malted but lashings of vanilla.
Palate:
Confident and assertive - an outtbreak of spicy, multi-layered oaky complexity.
Finish:
Dark chocolate and raisins. Very long.

Balblair - 26 year old - 46%
Cask:
Bourbon.
Colour:
Rich, golden honey.
Nose:

Palate:

Finish:
Zweet, oak.

Balblair 1997 - 43%
Cask:
100% Bourbon (first fill).
Colour:
Amber with golden highlights.
Nose:
Fused with the aroma's of pineapple, apricot and lemon.
Palate:
Hints of oak, spice, raisin and sweet vanilla.
Finish:
Long-lingering, creamy smooth..

Balblair 1989 - 43%
Cask:
100% Bourbon (first fill).
Colour:
Mid-amber with golden highlights.
Nose:
Full-bodied with raisin, green apple and hints of banana and lemon.
Palate:
Raisins and fruits with a rich spiciness.
Finish:
Long, complex and smooth finish..

Balblair 1979 - 46%
Unchillfiltered.
Cask:
100% Bourbon (first fill).
Colour:
Radiant golden honey highlights.
Nose:
Sweet toffee with a hint of vanilla and a slight fruity character.
Palate:
Satisfyingly smooth with a rich full flavour.
Finish:
Light and dry notes to finish.

PREVIOUS DISTILLERY BOTTLINGS

Balblair - 27 year old - 46%
Colour:
Dark chestnut.
Nose:
Cacao powder, as wine.
Palate:
Chocolat.
Finish:
Sharp.

Balblair - Highland Selection Limited Edition - 31 year old - 55%
Bottled in 2002.
Colour:
Pale gold.
Nose:
Sundried grass, dusty, ceder.
Palate:
Dry with notes of spice.
Finish:
Dry but not sharp.

Balblair - 33 year old - 54,4%
Bottled in 2002.
Colour:
Bright gold.
Nose:
Peat, earthly.
Palate:
Oily, spices and bananas.
Finish:
Big and spicy. Peated and long.

Balblair - 35 year old - 46%
Cask:
Bourbon.
Colour:

Nose:

Palate:

Finish:

Balblair - 38 year old - 44%
Cask:
Sherry.
Colour:
Dark gold with amber highlights.
Nose:
Sweet vanilla, fruit, spices with aroma's of sherry and Christmas cake.
Palate:
Powerful, raisins, cake and fruits.
Finish:
Malty. Long.

INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS FROM ADELPHI

Balblair - Adelphi Cask 893 - 37 year old - 54,3%
Cask:

Colour:
Apricot.
Nose:
Ceder, wood.
Palate:
Round. Ceder, wood and spices.
Finish:
Robust.

INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS FROM CADENHEAD

Balblair 1990 - Cadenhead - 16 year old - 58,5%
Bottled in September 2006 and limited to 174 bottles.
Cask:
Bourbon.
Colour:

Nose:
Spicy, treacle toffee with hints sherry.
Palate:
Rich and creamy.
Finish:
Long sweet finish.

Balblair 1965 - Cadenhead - 26 year old - 44,4%
Bottled in March 1992. Unchillfiltered.
Cask:

Colour:

Nose:

Palate:

Finish:

INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS FROM DEWAR RATTRAY

Balblair 1991 - 15 year old - 55,2%
Cask No. 3289. Limited to 204 bottles.
Cask:
Bourbon.
Colour:
Deep copper.
Nose:
Sweet with spicy undertones. Buttery.
Palate:
Spiced fruit cake. Smooth and warming.
Finish:
A rich dram for any occasion.

INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS FROM GORDON & MACPHAIL

Balblair - Distillery Malt - 10 year old - 40%
Cask:
Refill American Casks.
Colour:
Orange gold.
Nose:
Sweet - vanilla essence with hints of cedar wood and citrus fruits.
Palate:
Peaty with oaky notes (grape stalks & bracken), touch of crushed peppercorns.
Finish:
Burnt fruit cake.

Balblair 1973 - Private Collection - 32 year old - 45%
Limited to 385 bottles.
Cask:
First Fill Sherry Hogsheads.
Colour:
Golden treacle.
Nose:
Sweet, perfumed, sherry aromas - traces of burnt sugar, butterscotch, lavender and violets. Some peat embers and charred oak.
Palate:
Sweet sherry with resinous, treacle and strong liquorice flavours. Slightly oily with a subtle peat smoke.
Finish:
Sherry notes with hints of liquorice.

Balblair 1966 - Gordon & MacPhail - 40%
Bottled in 2003. Chillfiltered.
Cask:
Refill Bourbon Barrels.
Colour:
Straw, yellow.
Nose:
Closed - sweet, smoky with some cereal notes.
Palate:
Smoky with a slight medicinal note.
Finish:
Aromatic - hints of birchwood.

	Balblair - Elements - no age statement - 40% Colour: Gold. Nose: Lightly salty and peaty. Black chocolate. Palate: Light shortbread. Creamy. Hint of raspberries. Spiciness emerging. Very slightly peppery. Finish: Dry.
	Balblair - 10 year old - 40% Colour: Golden amber. Nose: Malty - all bran/shredded wheat, then a toffee-apple sweetness. With water there's dry oak and a light (attractive) earthiness. Palate: Medium-weight and quite sweet, it sits on the toungue nicely with light oakiness on the sides. Toffee-soft and easy with touches of buttered fruit loaf. Finish: Light, dry and creamy .
	Balblair - 16 year old - 43% Colour: Amber with golden highlights. Nose: Light, quite lush and fruity. Medium sweet, softly malted but lashings of vanilla. Palate: Confident and assertive - an outtbreak of spicy, multi-layered oaky complexity. Finish: Dark chocolate and raisins. Very long.
	Balblair - 26 year old - 46% Cask: Bourbon. Colour: Rich, golden honey. Nose: Palate: Finish: Zweet, oak.
	Balblair 1997 - 43% Cask: 100% Bourbon (first fill). Colour: Amber with golden highlights. Nose: Fused with the aroma's of pineapple, apricot and lemon. Palate: Hints of oak, spice, raisin and sweet vanilla. Finish: Long-lingering, creamy smooth..
	Balblair 1989 - 43% Cask: 100% Bourbon (first fill). Colour: Mid-amber with golden highlights. Nose: Full-bodied with raisin, green apple and hints of banana and lemon. Palate: Raisins and fruits with a rich spiciness. Finish: Long, complex and smooth finish..
	Balblair 1979 - 46% Unchillfiltered. Cask: 100% Bourbon (first fill). Colour: Radiant golden honey highlights. Nose: Sweet toffee with a hint of vanilla and a slight fruity character. Palate: Satisfyingly smooth with a rich full flavour. Finish: Light and dry notes to finish.

	Balblair - 27 year old - 46% Colour: Dark chestnut. Nose: Cacao powder, as wine. Palate: Chocolat. Finish: Sharp.
	Balblair - Highland Selection Limited Edition - 31 year old - 55% Bottled in 2002. Colour: Pale gold. Nose: Sundried grass, dusty, ceder. Palate: Dry with notes of spice. Finish: Dry but not sharp.
	Balblair - 33 year old - 54,4% Bottled in 2002. Colour: Bright gold. Nose: Peat, earthly. Palate: Oily, spices and bananas. Finish: Big and spicy. Peated and long.
	Balblair - 35 year old - 46% Cask: Bourbon. Colour: Nose: Palate: Finish:
	Balblair - 38 year old - 44% Cask: Sherry. Colour: Dark gold with amber highlights. Nose: Sweet vanilla, fruit, spices with aroma's of sherry and Christmas cake. Palate: Powerful, raisins, cake and fruits. Finish: Malty. Long.

Region	Highlands
District	Nothern Highlands
Water source	Ben Dearg
Neighbours	The Dalmore, Glenmorangie, Teaninich
Owner	Inver House Distillers
Manager	Derek Sinclair
Visitor centre	By appointment only.
Address	Edderton, Tain Ross-shire, IV19 1LB
Phone	+44 (0)1862 821 273
Website	http://www.balblair.com/
History	1790 : founded by John Ross 1824 : John was joined by his sun Andrew 1894 : taken over by Alexander Cowan 1948 : bought by Robert Cumming who promptly expanded the distillery 1970 : sold to Allied Distillers 1996 : bought by Inver House Distillers
House Style	Medium-bodied and sweet with an occasional nuttiness.
Pronunciation	bal-blèr
Meaning
Capacity per year	1.400.000 litres
Independent Bottler	Adelphi Cadenhead Dewar Rattray Gordon & MacPhail
Information	One of the oldest distillery's of Scotland.

	Balblair 1990 - Cadenhead - 16 year old - 58,5% Bottled in September 2006 and limited to 174 bottles. Cask: Bourbon. Colour: Nose: Spicy, treacle toffee with hints sherry. Palate: Rich and creamy. Finish: Long sweet finish.
	Balblair 1965 - Cadenhead - 26 year old - 44,4% Bottled in March 1992. Unchillfiltered. Cask: Colour: Nose: Palate: Finish:

	Balblair - Distillery Malt - 10 year old - 40% Cask: Refill American Casks. Colour: Orange gold. Nose: Sweet - vanilla essence with hints of cedar wood and citrus fruits. Palate: Peaty with oaky notes (grape stalks & bracken), touch of crushed peppercorns. Finish: Burnt fruit cake.
	Balblair 1973 - Private Collection - 32 year old - 45% Limited to 385 bottles. Cask: First Fill Sherry Hogsheads. Colour: Golden treacle. Nose: Sweet, perfumed, sherry aromas - traces of burnt sugar, butterscotch, lavender and violets. Some peat embers and charred oak. Palate: Sweet sherry with resinous, treacle and strong liquorice flavours. Slightly oily with a subtle peat smoke. Finish: Sherry notes with hints of liquorice.
	Balblair 1966 - Gordon & MacPhail - 40% Bottled in 2003. Chillfiltered. Cask: Refill Bourbon Barrels. Colour: Straw, yellow. Nose: Closed - sweet, smoky with some cereal notes. Palate: Smoky with a slight medicinal note. Finish: Aromatic - hints of birchwood.