Review #207 - Balblair 12 Year — Me, My Wife & Whisky

Balblair's entry-level single malt, a 12 year old highlander that's a part of the brand's revamped core range. There's more of a focus on quality and transparency - the range has a minimum strength of 46% ABV, and they state that there's no chill filtration or added coloring used. Some will grieve the move away from the old vintage-stated bottles, but the distillery still seems to be committed to quality.

This is aged in both ex-bourbon casks and American oak 'double-fired' casks; because of that, we're expecting some sweeter, classic baking-spice flavors. And, because it's 12 years old, most of those spirit notes should be rounded off and contained, but the casks might also not be overly dominant.

Balblair 12 Year

Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt

Price Paid: USD 58 (2023)

Current Locally Available Price: USD 71 (2024)

Age Statement: 12 Years

Strength: 46% ABV

Cask Makeup: American oak ex-bourbon casks and 'double-fired' American oak casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 2 months; bottles at 100%, 80% (blind tasting), 70% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Light and bright, crisp, with lemon, vanilla, cream, and pineapple. Oak is mellow, and there's a nice weight and character to the spirit, which still holds up against the casks; lemon curd, peach, mango, and custard all add more fruity and creamy flavors. With time, orange and some tropical melon add more fruit dimensions, and ginger adds some spice.

Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; there's a nice maturity to the oak, adding dry spice and a hint of leather, but the main focus is fruits: peaches, strong tart lemon, and some other tropical fruit. Creme brulee flavors add a creamy note, along with vanilla, honey, and white pepper bringing some more baking flavors.

Finish: Lemonade, lemon candies, butterscotch, and vanilla - this reflects the palate quite well. There's just a hint of wood smoke, and white pepper adds a hint of spice. It's still mostly sweet, rounded flavors with orange creamsicles, peaches, and buttercream.

Final Note: This is a nice, well-made 12 year Scotch single malt. The spirit flavors and cask flavors have a nice balance, and the predominant ex-bourbon notes give us plenty of fruits and baking spices. The tropical stone fruits especially are a nice treat, and while this doesn't have the high strength or high age to really blow us away, it is a very nice sipper. Value is pretty good, too, although the price is creeping up over the last year in our area.

Our Average Rating: 7.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 7.08