Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Distillery: Blair Athol.
Bottler: Hunter Laing.
Region: Scotland/Highland Single Malt.
ABV: 50.0%.
Age: 26 Years. Distilled in March 1997. Bottled in Oct. 2023.
Cask type: Sherry Hogshead.
Nose: Flinty with gunpowder and cordite, chlorine and slightly chemical like paper cement or glue, subtle fruit and rose appeared, more rubber erasures with time..
Palate: Medium-bodied, paper cement and slightly chemical, flinty, charcoal and earth, desiccated coconut led to chocolate, more shave ice syrups with hibiscus and watermelon gradually came to the fore.
Finish: Long and lingering with fruit and earth, rolling in a flower bed.
Mental Image: Shave Ice in the Revolutionary War.
Conclusion: My love of dirty, odd whiskies came through here— though everyone at the table who tasted it was a fan. The whisky felt old-fashioned and almost peated at times with earthy and dirty notes that ranged from gunpowder to charcoal and flint. The flavor combination was more 1970s than 1997, and I credit much of that to what was surely a slightly sulfurous sherry cask which matched beautifully with some of the more unusual fruit and floral qualities of the malt. I know adhesives and chemicals do not sound appealing, but they found their balance here sitting around the edges of sweeter, creamier notions— though maybe I was always a glue eater in elementary school.
Final Score: 89.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 