Skip to content
  • Home
  • Whisky Top 10
  • Tasting Notes
  • About Thijs
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Whisky Top 10
  • Tasting Notes
  • About Thijs
  • Contact
logo
balblair 12 years

Balblair 12 Years Old (2019)

11 December 2019 0 comments Article Balblair, Highlands, Scotland, Tasting Notes

While my distillery visits to Balblair were underwhelming, I still like Balblair. A lot. It is one of the first whiskies I reviewed on this blog. Their vintage approach made them stand out. They were just more interesting for it. An age statement approach, like most other distilleries have, is just a little more stagnant.

Having said that, you probably already know Balblair switched to age statements earlier in the year. In a sense, it’s made them much more generic. At least in my view. The new labels don’t help either. What is Balblair’s identity now? I’m not sure.

But let’s not lament for too long. The best way to cheer up is to be positively surprised by the new Balblair 12 Years Old. Fingers crossed.

Balblair 12 Years Old (46%, OB, 2019)

Nose: Very light and it takes a little while to open up, but then it goes right into apple cider territory, accompanied by hints of vanilla, coconut and oak shavings, but also lemon and sour beer.
Taste: Pleasant oiliness with a hint of chili pepper and a certain oaky bitterness, as well as a bit of green apple and soft notes of barley husks. A touch of ginger too, as well as bitter lemon peel.
Finish: More of the above. Medium in length.

Score: 81

Not too dissimilar from the 2005 vintage, but with just a little more character and depth. So not a major improvement, but luckily no step back either.

Photo: The Whisky Exchange

Thijs Klaverstijn Kingairloch 3
Thijs Klaverstijn

Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.

Tags: 12yo, balblair, highlands

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Tumblr

Most popular posts

  • whiskydudes fettercairn miltonduff girvan Girvan 2006, Miltonduff 2009 & Fettercairn 2008 (Whiskydudes)
  • Glendronach cask (flickr ti yab) GlenDronach Is A Lot Older Than The Label Says
  • glen grant 15y batch strength Glen Grant 15 Years Batch Strength (1st Edition)
  • tamdhu 12yo Tamdhu 12 Years (2020)
  • glenlivet 12yo illicit still Glenlivet 12 Years Illicit Still (2020)

Recent blog posts

  • Upcoming: Blind Tasting Competition
  • Sexism & Misogyny in our Whisky Community
  • Monologue: Waterford’s Mark Reynier on Biodynamics & Terroir
  • Why The Whiskybase Gathering Should Be On Your Bucket List
  • Visiting Ballindalloch Distillery: Tradition & Patience in Speyside

Copyright Words of Whisky 2021