Review #225 - Balblair 1990 2nd Release (2015)
Ah, the old vintage releases from Balblair. Generally going as far back as the 1970s (there were just a few very rare 1960s bottlings), and going through the mid-2000s, these often lacked an age statement - the best of them were instead known by the year of distillation. Balblair has moved away from the model, with their current range displaying some of the typical age statements for Scotch: 12 years, 15 years, 18 years, etc.
We don't have an official age statement on this bottle, but based on a vintage of 1990 and a bottling year of 2015, we can surmise that this whisky is 24 or 25 years old. It spent that time maturing in ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry butts, and it came with a gorgeous color and a subtly fanciful bottle design.
Balblair 1990 2nd Release (2015)
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 279 (2024 - based on recent auction results)
Age Statement: 24 to 25 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry butts
Details: 1990 vintage, bottled in 2015
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 5 months; bottles at 80%, 70%, and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Just slightly subtle at first, but it opens up to be rich and juicy. Sweet red fruits of overripe strawberry, cranberry, and plum; baking notes of cardamom and caramelized sugar; a bit of old school sherry cask, or some dunnage funk. Later, dark demerara sugar and old polished oak waft forward.
Palate: Medium mouthfeel or so, with a dark complexion: dense, dirty sherry, dark chocolate, cocoa nibs; some strawberry, medicinal cherry, rhubarb, and pomegranate; soft spice of black pepper can be found. Soft malty flavors and earthy notes come later, and near the end of the palate, a sweet perfumed oak arrives.
Finish: Medium length - sweet, rounded, and rich. Cranberry, tart cherry, and cherry pie continue the fruit theme, while dark brown sugar, dark chocolate, and malt add a baking side. Again, the soft, sweet, perfumed oak arrives at the end, subtle but noticeable each time.
Final Note: So rich and pure, but it's almost hard to describe what elevates this over some other sherry bombs. It's generally sweet, but it still feels well balanced, and there's definitely a more 'old school' feeling about the spirit and the casks. So much rich, juicy red fruit - this was a real treat.
Because it was a limited bottling, and we're going on 10 years since the release, auction prices aren't always as palatable as the whisky itself; these vintage Balblairs have a bit of a reputation, and that's making it less affordable to snag a bottle.
Our Average Rating: 8.7 / 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: 5.31
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