Review by: Raygun

This is something I definitely would have passed over if it hadn’t been a blind sample. I haven’t had a lot of Blair Athol, but none of it has been good. Combine that past experience with a relatively anonymous bottler with an NAS expression, and it didn’t seem like a recipe for success. Just goes to show you can’t always judge a whisky by its label. Sample and pic courtesy of Whiskery Turnip. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Blair Athol  

Bottler: Whisky UA     

Region/style: Highland single malt Scotch

ABV: 50% 

Age: NAS. Bottled on April 11, 202.  

Cask type: First fill Cave Dourthe red wine, 317 bottles.  

Color: 1.2 chestnut. Natural color and chill-filtered.

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Nose: It’s a pretty subtle nose. Some caramel, apples, orange peel, and even a hint of mustard. Mild earth and some oak.   

Palate: Under 50%, I think. Caramel, some grass, and there’s the touch of mustard. Orange zest and a little chocolate that suggests refill sherry. Quite a bit of chocolate, in fact. Some plum. The mustard flavor seems to develop with time, and it gets a little strange. Does have some youthful sharpness that I missed initially.  

Finish: More chocolate, caramel, and now some bran muffins. That sort of earthiness. Some black tea. Medium level of oak. Decent level of richness with a fair amount of astringency. There’s the mustard again.

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Guess: Tough one. No peat. Feels like a refill sherry cask and about 15 years. Around 48-50%. The touch of mustard is distinctive, but doesn’t feel familiar at all. Worm tub effect, maybe. Could be a refill sherry Dailuaine? Something like that. 

Post-reveal thoughts: Mostly a miss again. Bordeaux (I think) wine rather than sherry, and first-fill. Not a typical red wine presentation. Thought it was a teenager, but it’s NAS. At least close on ABV.     

Conclusion: I haven’t cared much for the Blair Athol I’ve had. In fact, it’s a distillery I avoid now. This is probably the best I’ve had. At least interesting. Unpeated red wine is a risky proposition. Works reasonably well in this case. Not overbearing even for a first fill cask. Definitely surprised me. 

Buy a bottle? Nice enough, but not worth seeking out. 

Score: 78

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)