Shall we go with Jingle bell’s, today ? No, ok lets move on..

As we get closer to the big day the excitement should be building and i know that each day opening this Boutique-y whisky calendar it gets that little bit more exciting as each dram is a perfect build up to the festive season grand finale..

Balblair is a whisky that i keep returning to because although its not a favourite it is fairly consistent in quality… The indie bottles do offer something a little different to the standard bottles and give a far better insight into what is hiding within the warehouses but thats a story for another day..

Batch 1 – 7 year old Balblair

Distillery.. Balblair

Region.. Highlands

Age.. 7 years

Abv.. 49.9%

Cask.. Ex Bourbon at a guess

Outturn.. 1305 x 50cl bottles

RRP.. £49.95

Nose.. Initially this feels rather subdued but then those fruits start to take control and the whole experience changes. This carries some fresh apples, poached pears, peach and some heather honey.. Damp heather and mosses on a windswept mountain with a distant scent of the ocean in the air.. Very intriguing.

Palate.. Bitter notes from the citrus peels and maybe even some bitter chocolate notes rise with fresh apples, cinnamon and a little taint from the oak towards the latter end.

Finish.. Bitter citrus notes and charred oak

Thoughts.. I know people will wonder about things when i mention bitter but it is not a bad thing, its just my way of describing what i taste.. This is a nice dram and although i do find it on the young side of things, it is still very drinkable and should certainly be tried..