Balblair 1999, 1st release

Balblair is probably the only distillery that still sells their whiskies as vintages. The 1999 vintage 1st edition has been a mainstay of the travel retail. It was bottled in 2016 which makes the whisky approximately 17 years old. It has been aged in ex bourbon barrels and some ex spanish oaksherry butts. So how does it taste?

Smell: A nice complex smell. With vanilla, spices, fruits and some apples and some citrus
Taste: Spicy and some toffee and some vanilla and sweetness.
Aftertaste: Long spicy sweet finish.

A highly recommended whisky. One of the best whiskies in the travel retail range.

Balblair vintage 2005 and Tomatin 12 years

Let us leave Italy and wine and go to Scotland for whisky. I will look into two releases from two less known distilleries Balblair and Tomatin.

First up is Balblair and the Balblair 2005, Balblair is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland and was founded in 1790. Balblair is owned by Inver House and is located in the northern Highlands north of Inverness. Bablair differs from other distilleries in that they only bottle vintages. So the vintage that I have tried is their 2005 and it was bottled in 2015, so it is approximately 10 years old. It is natural colour and is non chill-filtered. I have to say that the box is very beautiful and that the bottle shape is a delight to see as it show the contents very well and one can see the natural colour of the whisky very well.
The colour of this whisky is a bit lighter and one can see that bourbon barrels have been used for maturing the whisky.
The nose of the Balblair 2005 is some oak and vanilla with green apples and almost some toffee.
The taste is a delight. One gets a citrus with toffee and some spices. A medium finish that lingers.
I like this whisky very much and I have to try other vintages. Because one can find old vintages and not become ruined as both the 1999 and the 1990 are reasonably priced.

Next up is the Tomatin 12 years. Tomatin is owned by japanese owners Takara Shuzo and Tomatin is situated south east of Inverness. Tomatin is also the one of the highest situated distillery in Scotland. they are also very open with their whiskies and have a wide range available. They call themselves the softer side of the highlands.
The 12 year old whisky is matured in ex bourbon barrels and sherry casks. The nose has a fruity aroma. The taste has a definitive taste of apples which seem to be the distillery character followed by oranges and oak. This is a smooth whisky and has a very good price, definately softer side of the Highlands.

If you have the chance, visit the Highlands in Scotland, it is such a beautiful place and if you have the time, visit a distillery.