Due to various reasons it has taken me a while since the sample arrived some three months ago, but here it finally is – my review of the White Heather 15 Years. The brand is one of Billy Walker‘s babies and was revived last year with the release of a 21-year-old.

The new White Heather 15 Years is a blended Scotch whisky containing both peated and unpeated malts from Speyside, Islay and the Northern Highlands. There’s grain whisky in the mix also, but the malt content is on the higher side with 47 percent.

The whisky begain its life in sherry butts and American oak barrels, before being blended by Walker and re-racked into Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons as well as American virgin oak casks to spend an additional three years.

“This has been a real passion project for me”, says Walker. “It takes me back to my first forays in the industry and allows me to select and blend whiskies from across Scotland in order to achieve the intended flavour profile. I hold a strong belief that interest in the Premium Blend category is growing, and we very much want to be at the forefront of it with White Heather.”

White Heather 15 Years (46%, OB, 2022)

Nose: Opens up on a tinge of caramel, marzipan, some orange liqueur and After Eight, but also fresh berries, Werther’s Original and a whisper of honey.
Taste: Quite creamy with some gentle spices, a tinge of dry oak and more orange liqueur. There’s also a whisper of smoke and mint, followed by molasses and toffee.
Finish: It fades quickly, more so than expected. Slightly drying with a gentle sweetness.

Conclusion

Not having benefitted from tasting it head-to-head with its older brother, I'll carefully state that the White Heather 15 Years sits at an equally high level. And maybe I would even prefer it, but not by enough to actually give it a higher rating. This is a well-balanced, easy sipper without it ever becoming monotonous.

8.6

Sample provided by GlenAllachie Distillers