Today young indie Balblair


April 22, 2025

WF’s Little Duos, today young Balblair

Are we going to come across some fruit bombs?

The forests of Limousin cover nearly 600,000 hectares (around 400 million trees), including almost 200,000 hectares of pedunculate oak. (Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière)

Balblair 10 yo (46%, Living Souls, ex-Limousin oak Cognac finish, 2024)

A rather pleonastic idea from some new Glasgow-based indie bottlers, given that Balblair in and of itself can sometimes already nod towards a rather fruity Cognac. It should be noted that Cognac is generally matured in pedonculate French oak from the forests of Tronçais or Limousin, the latter being the more tannic of the two. Colour: white wine. Nose: the oak spices are quick to leap out, followed by citrus peels and hints of fir sap, alongside a touch of stewed rhubarb. A charming nose, it must be said, though rather than amplifying the fruitiness, the finishing seems to have capped it somewhat, rendering this baby rather more on the herbal side. Mouth: similar feelings, loads of spices on a fairly creamy texture, then green apples and once again citrus zests, even some bitter orange. Pine needles. Finish: fairly long, even spicier and more herbaceous still, but it wears it well. Comments: indeed, there are also some nice echoes of quality oak throughout. I find the whole thing a tad curious, but genuinely enjoyable.
SGP:461 - 83 points.

Balblair 12 yo 2011/2024 (53.4%, Valinch & Mallet, Young Masters Edition, 2nd fill oloroso, cask #800197, 331 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: the sherry cask remains fairly discreet, allowing the distillate to fire off loads of green apples and lemon straight up the nostrils, with a few aniseed-y touches adding to a Sauvignon Blanc-esque freshness we’re particularly fond of around here. With water: not much change, and that’s just as well. A pure and vibrant nose, as the saying goes, perhaps just a few walnut skins, most likely from the sherry wood. Mouth (neat): green apple liqueur mixed with lemon juice and a dab of honey. I dare say this combo could soothe all our springtime ailments – sinuses, throat, bronchi and beyond. With water: perfect, extremely Balblairian. Lovely notes of pink pepper joining the apples and lemons. Finish: long and properly zesty. Comments: a rather lovely bottle, with perfect tension.
SGP:661 - 88 points.

After these youthful new releases, let’s take the opportunity to quickly sample a couple of Balblairs from our old stock, never formally tasted until now.

Balblair 20 yo 1990/2011 (54.2%, Friends of Malt, finished in Port Charlotte cask)

I must admit I’d been a little hesitant to taste this rather oddball baby… Colour: white wine. Nose: I confess it’s quite amusing, with ashes blanketing tinned pineapple, the whole lot served in a hefty silver salad bowl. There’s also loads of rhubarb again, along with strawberries and radish tops. It’s quirky but oddly coherent. With water: arrival of apples. Mouth (neat): more classically peaty here, a bit like some of those mainland peaters such as Benriach or Tomintoul. With water: apples and lemons now, with touches of passion fruit helping to balance things out. Finish: long, tense, with returning ashes and smoke. Comments: I think it worked, though one wonders whether this Balblair might not have been even better before being Portcharlotted like this.
SGP:563 - 86 points.

Balblair 18 yo 1990/2008 (58.7%, Villa Konthor)

Villa Konthor is one of the hallowed grounds of Limburg an der Lahn, see you there very soon! Colour: white wine. Nose: quite similar to the previous one, minus the Port Charlotte, which should in theory help us answer our question. Essentially, remove the peat and add a touch of honey and vanilla. With water: ripe apples. Mouth (neat): creamy, very fruity, with peaches, apples, bananas, and indeed a bit of pineapple. With water: same again. Finish: same again. Comments: not entirely sure we’ve actually solved our little conundrum, to be honest.
SGP:651 - 85 points.

Check the index of all Balblair we've tasted so far