On the menu today: A Balblair 1996 bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, exclusively for Inverness Airport. I found this bottle at the airport in November 2016, after receiving a tip from a friend on Facebook, who travelled to the airport a day before me. And considering I’m a big fan of Balblair and there are very few independent releases of them, I didn’t have to think twice about buying this bottle.
This Balblair has matured in a refill bourbon cask and is bottled at 46% ABV.
Balblair 1996 tasting notes:
Nose: A whiff of smoke, but that dissapears rather quickly. This is followed by grapefruit and lemons. Some sweetness from candyfloss and a hint of cookie dough. Melons too.
Taste: Wow that is fruity! A lot of tropical fruits, and than mostly bananas. But there is some Khaki fruit too, and a hint of fresh pineapple. A sweet grapefruit on the background, adding a delicious bitter sweet note to the taste. Some vanilla as well. Very lovely!
Finish: The finish is Mid-long, also with the tropical fruits.
A real tropical fruit bomb this one. Not overly complex or with a lot of layers, but highly enjoyable with a nice palate that does work really well at 46% ABV.
