Balblair – 25 Year Old (70cl, 46%)

Balblair – 25 Year Old is a whisky from Balblair (Highlands). Aged 25 years, bottled at 46% ABV, 70cl. Balblair is owned by InverHouse Distillers and boasts one of the oldest histories of any distillery in Scotland. The distillery owes a huge debt to lawyer and energetic businessman Robert “Bertie” Cumming who purchased the distillery in 1948 after years of silence and went on to expand and modernise the distillery. Part of this modernisation includes a contemporary visitor centre running excellent tours that highlight the distillery’s starring role in Ken Loach’s 2012 movie ‘The Angels’ Share’. Balblair has also changed from oil to gas to reduce their ecological footprint. In 2019, Balblair redesigned their bottlings moving away from annual vintage releases and towards age statement whiskies with an aim to provide a more accessible, premium offering. Matured for over a quarter of a century, overripe apricots and dark liquorice hits the nose, chocolate praline and faint notes of fresh tobacco leaf indulges the palate followed by a smooth chocolate and blood orange finish.