Hell's Bell's
10. Blair Athol (12yo, 43%)
A virtual tour of Scotland's distilleries by definition should not include actual, physical visits to distilleries but it would have been positively rude to pass Blair Athol and Tobermory distilleries without nipping in and making a small donation to the local economy.
On our way to a very enjoyable wee overnight last night at the Old Mill Inn in Pitlochry we passed Blair Athol distillery on the way into the village and the opportunity was too good to resist this morning when leaving to head back south, particularly as the sun was blazing in a clear blue sky [see pic on the right]. Blair Athol is perhaps unfairly best known as being the single malt at the heart of the Bell's blended whisky, owned by Diageo.
The distillery is very, very pretty and exceptionally well maintained with one of the most impressive whisky shops and visitor centres I've been in. Established in 1798, Blair Athol was bought by Arthur Bell and Sons in 1933 before being refurbished and eventually put back into proper use by Bell in 1949.
The distillery sits in the foothills of the Grampians and draws its water from the Allt Dour burn - the burn of the otter - which explains the otter on the front of the bottle.
It produces a fair amount of spirit every year but the vast majority goes to making blended whisky. There are very few available single malt expressions and it's not the easiest malt to get your hands on so this Blair Athol 12yo promises to be a treat.
Apparently the stuff that finds its way into the blends is matured in bourbon casks while the single malt stuff spends its time maturing in sherry casks.
[Aside: I picked it up for about £40, thanks to a £3 discount from the very friendly distillery shop assistant after I had stood in line to buy the bottle among a group of German tourists who had just finished a tour.
Me: Just this, please.
Shop assistant: Were you on the tour then?
Me: No.
Shop assistant: Are you sure you weren't on the tour?
Me: Em, positive.
Shop assistant: Definitely positive? It's just that people who've done the tour get a voucher for £3 off a bottle.
Me: Yes! Of course I was on the tour and very informative it was too!]
Tasting notes, after a fashion:
Ok, hands up, I actually had a dram of this last night after my dinner in the Old Mill, but that was after a pint of Corn Crake and two large glasses of Aussie shiraz so we'll dismiss that particular tasting session.
This evening it's bags of sherry and toasted nuts on the nose, big and deep but crisp and a bit peaty. And is there some ginger in there too?
In the mouth it's pretty much the same story: lots of deep, rounded sherry, plenty of fruity sweetness, some more gingery notes and some malt. It has a really pleasant weight, chunky but not overpowering. The finish is crisp and smooth, dry and sustained if a little single toned.
The tiniest splash of water takes the whole lot down a notch but doesn't markedly change the experience. Bit softer on the nose, but all the same notes - although with maybe a little bit of that green appleyness I often detect in diluted malts.
In the mouth the water blurs the flavours a touch, melding them into one another, but in a totally satisfying, happy-making way. Big and full of character, this would be a great dram after a long day on the hill or on the bike.
4/5
 |
| Sun blazing. Clear blue sky. |
On our way to a very enjoyable wee overnight last night at the Old Mill Inn in Pitlochry we passed Blair Athol distillery on the way into the village and the opportunity was too good to resist this morning when leaving to head back south, particularly as the sun was blazing in a clear blue sky [see pic on the right]. Blair Athol is perhaps unfairly best known as being the single malt at the heart of the Bell's blended whisky, owned by Diageo.
The distillery is very, very pretty and exceptionally well maintained with one of the most impressive whisky shops and visitor centres I've been in. Established in 1798, Blair Athol was bought by Arthur Bell and Sons in 1933 before being refurbished and eventually put back into proper use by Bell in 1949.
The distillery sits in the foothills of the Grampians and draws its water from the Allt Dour burn - the burn of the otter - which explains the otter on the front of the bottle.
It produces a fair amount of spirit every year but the vast majority goes to making blended whisky. There are very few available single malt expressions and it's not the easiest malt to get your hands on so this Blair Athol 12yo promises to be a treat.
Apparently the stuff that finds its way into the blends is matured in bourbon casks while the single malt stuff spends its time maturing in sherry casks.
[Aside: I picked it up for about £40, thanks to a £3 discount from the very friendly distillery shop assistant after I had stood in line to buy the bottle among a group of German tourists who had just finished a tour.
Me: Just this, please.
Shop assistant: Were you on the tour then?
Me: No.
Shop assistant: Are you sure you weren't on the tour?
Me: Em, positive.
Shop assistant: Definitely positive? It's just that people who've done the tour get a voucher for £3 off a bottle.
Me: Yes! Of course I was on the tour and very informative it was too!]
Tasting notes, after a fashion:
This evening it's bags of sherry and toasted nuts on the nose, big and deep but crisp and a bit peaty. And is there some ginger in there too?
In the mouth it's pretty much the same story: lots of deep, rounded sherry, plenty of fruity sweetness, some more gingery notes and some malt. It has a really pleasant weight, chunky but not overpowering. The finish is crisp and smooth, dry and sustained if a little single toned.
The tiniest splash of water takes the whole lot down a notch but doesn't markedly change the experience. Bit softer on the nose, but all the same notes - although with maybe a little bit of that green appleyness I often detect in diluted malts.
In the mouth the water blurs the flavours a touch, melding them into one another, but in a totally satisfying, happy-making way. Big and full of character, this would be a great dram after a long day on the hill or on the bike.
4/5
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