Balblair 18-year-old

Overall rating: 86.17/100
votes: 39

Category: Single Malt
Distillery: Balblair
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Bottled: 2019
Stated Age: 18 years old
Strength: 46.0 % Vol.
Size: 700 ml
Bottle code: L197075 R19/5129
Added on: 28 Mar 2019 3:42 pm by holborndrinker

Average value

€ 130,01

Found 18 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 103,99

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	Loch Fyne Whiskies	£ 125,00

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3 × in wishlist

39 × member ratings

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Whisky Reviews for Balblair 18-year-old

12 users have left a review for this whisky and scored it an average of 86.17 points

peatbogger scored this whisky 85 points
26 May 2019 9:46 pm
Tasted at the distillery.
The line up of 12, 15, 18 follows an even progression.
With a progression in price as well.
The 18 has the most flavour, yet the 15 was my fav, and still I think the 12 is best value for money.

Nose

85 85

This has spent it's extra years in some good sherry wood.
The sherry influence is much deeper than on the 15.
Still not completely covering the lighter fruity notes of the bourbon casks, but this has added notes of raisins, prunes, more and darker chocolate, coffee and leather.

Taste

86 86

Very rich on the darker notes without going to any extremes.
Well rounded and on the sweet side, although it feels a bit more dry than it's younger siblings.

Finish

85 85

We are approaching a long finish.
Chocolate and coffee, slightly drying.
lachaineduwhisky did not rate this whisky
15 May 2019 11:30 am

Tasted in the living room

More based on leather and sherry than the 15 years, the value added compared to the latter is very low (the balance is worse if we take into account the price)

Enthusiasm 2/5

Whisky n ° 2033
alex..w..fan scored this whisky 83 points
15 Oct 2019 12:05 am

20 21 21 21 83
MrYens scored this whisky 83 points
07 Oct 2019 8:49 pm
ffmdino did not rate this whisky
11 Sep 2019 9:18 pm
I do not like it that much
the 15th is better; in this dominate the oak notes and the associated spice too much

Nose

Sherry, very sweet (and you might think even stronger), slightly dark caramel, slightly vanilla, dark, slightly musty / musty, shortbread, light wood (tart and spicy) and gets stronger,
later cereals, biscuits so towards bisquit, brown and floury apple
from 1920 Blendersglas: the sweetness is full !!, spicy, even more vanilla !!, red berries (forest berry mix), raisins is stronger, lemons come at the end

Taste

soft and silky on the palate
Oak with spice is more, slightly raisins, milk chocolate, clear sherry, wild berries, slightly floury apple, dark caramel comes, first sweet and then goes into the bitter

Finish

medium to long
Sherry, roasted aromas (stronger than 15s), espresso or old and salty coffee, oak (this becomes dominant)
Wolv scored this whisky 82 points
26 Jun 2019 9:59 pm
Nose

84 84

Taste

83 83

Finish

80 80
matts scored this whisky 85 points
17 Jun 2019 12:22 am
Character: Very spicy, dry and oak-rich. Provided with a sour herb note. Not too complex, but with quite good drinking flow.
Rating: The 18y is a little more peppery in direct comparison, but as with the 12y and 15y, I like the tart tart herb note. The taste is not quite my case. Nevertheless, there are a total of 85 points in my opinion

Nose

Right from the start sherry and oak pull neatly balanced in the nose. Juicy sultanas, orange peel and sweet red apples meet cinnamon-dominated spice mix, oak and leather. The basic characteristic is not dissimilar to the 15y; the 18y affects me but a bit more set and Eichichenlastiger.

Taste

Surprisingly intense, spicy oak immediately hits the tip of the tongue. Accompanied by a vanilla and toffee flavor, malt and grain are flushed through the mouth. It gets quite peppery and then there are a handful of hazelnuts and an ever-increasing, tart oak flavor. In the transition to the finish, a lot of cocoa powder resonates. Towards the end, a bit out of round bitterness comes through.

Finish

The finish is medium long. Bedded on chocolate with a high cocoa content, a bitter, slightly bitter oak taste sounds intense. Pepper and cinnamon flash through briefly and with a herbal note that reminds me of sorrel, the bottling finally finishes.
galg33 scored this whisky 87 points
16 Jun 2019 1:42 pm

Nose: Quite a different profile than the 17 year old with more fruit (pear, toffee’d apples), spices, leather and a leafy note as well, not as sweet as it’s younger sibling, and certainly not as sweet/ sherried.

Palate: Spicy up front, then the orchard fruit kick in, with apricot and nectarine, as well as vanilla, maybe crème brulé, and toffee, sweeter and spicier than the nose suggested, very balanced and very more-ish, with the dried fruit arriving only very late.

Finish: Cinnamon , clove and sultanas (Xmas cake anyone?)

Bottom line: Lovely stuff. A notch up from the 15, harmonious and easy drinking whisky, for a nice autumn / winter day, or with a nice chocolate desert, good balance, and well made, the best of the bunch so for , for me. (looking fwd to trying the 25..)
Bam scored this whisky 84 points
15 Jun 2019 8:57 pm
Powerful, heavy whisky, which is characterized by dark oak and sherry aromas, but shows little fruit but pleases with dry and oaky spicy flavors.

Nose

Red apples, apricot and raisins. Brown sugar and dark caramel. Fresh leather and shoe polish, slightly musty. Strong oak flavor and always some cinnamon and vanilla.

Taste

Strong onset, dry mouthfeel. Again the red apples, and apricot. Oak spice, slightly peppery. Dark nougat and hazelnuts. Cocoa powder. A little vanilla.

Finish

Medium long, dominated by oak and dark notes. Dark caramel. Astringent.
Joint86 scored this whisky 87 points
17 May 2019 9:35 am
Nose

85 85

Taste

87 87

Finish

88 88

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