Balblair 16 Year Old 2006 Hand Bottled at the Distillery

My buddy Marcel Kip from the Netherlands visited the Balblair distillery some time ago and he asked me if he could do me a favor with an exclusive hand-bottled malt. Of course I immediately agreed and let him bring me such a bottle. And then to think that in September 2022 I will visit Balblair myself... Perhaps by that time it will be a different cask and I can return the favor. The label does not mention a cask type, but judging by the color, this may have been a bourbon barrel.

Grain cookies, coconut, apple and pear, sweet malt, Haribo bears, wine gums, ferns, limoncello, ginger and licorice. Woodsmoke! This is a particularly complex nose and absolutely amazing!

I get everything from the nose on the palate, but supplemented with some notes of young branches (greenwood), yogurt with pineapple, camphor and a hint of physalis and gooseberries. Fresh, clear, nice and fruity and playful. Hint of white chocolate on the second sip. Very good, indeed!

The finish is long and herbal. It dies a bright death, if you know what I mean.

Excellent Balblair that is a lot more complex than you would say at first sight. Take your time!

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