Blair Athol 1995 First Editions 25-Year
60.6% ABV - Highlands, Scotland
Nose: Mahogany, dried plum, molasses, and maraschino cherries. Decadent!
Taste: Intense dried fruits, mild smoke, an earthy wood, and light spices.
Finish: Lasting fruits, damp wood, and dried orange.
This is definitely one of my all-time favourite whiskies. Helping that is the absolutely amazing taste:value ratio—for this 25-Year single malt the price of admission was $200 CAD. The bottle was obtained through the Companions of the Quaich and West Coast Whisky Society. Oh, how I would love another bottle but with an outturn of only 85, that is quite unlikely!
So what happens when this bottle runs out? Good question. On one hand, there are definitely some Sherry bombs out there… but nothing I’ve tried recently blends in the flavour of earth floor and mild smoke quite like this one does. I’m not even sure if this one is peated or if it’s purely the barrel providing that palate. Whatever it is, this is a dream dram.
Details: Bottled in 2020. Bottle 53 of 85. Refill Sherry Butt HL17336. Bottled for the West Coast Whisky Society.
Tasting Notes (Official): A sweet nose of caramel, raspberries, and moss. The palate is complex with notes of vanilla, chocolate, and dark fruits. The finish is long, with lingering notes of sweetness.
Tasted 09 November 2022. (Posted 01 May 2023.)
