Rarely seen indie Blair Athol(L), this one a 1965 vintage and bottled many years ago in 1977 from the Cadenhead stock.
Distillery's Character
Tasting notes
Lion's | 02-02-2013
From Whiskyfun.com
Colour: pale gold.
Nose: this one is completely different from the FF, much more austere and brutal at the same time. Ultra-sharp, without any sweetness or nuttiness. Cut grass, lemon zests, metal, wet paper… Then we have some very nice whiffs of rubbed mint leaves, fresh almonds, putty, linseed oil… No ‘compromises’ here, which may be unexpected from Blair Athol’s usual light profile (now, the FF wasn’t light, for sure).
Mouth: sweeter and a tad rounder than on the nose, and curiously much closer to the FF albeit more nervous and sharper again. Bunches of candied citrus fruits (your pick), pine resin (cough syrup), mint, white pepper, ginger… Not too complex but vivid and very nervous, with superb hints of peat coming through after a moment. A perfect complement to this one’s ‘resinous mintiness’.
Finish: very long, even more focused on pine resin, with also even more peat and lemon. Comments: 12 years in a cask + 30 years in a bottle + a perfect screwcap = a perfect combo it seems, and probably a nightmare for all bean counters up there in Scotland. SGP:553 – 91 points.
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€ 330.00
Blair Athol 1988 28 years old Antique Lions of Whisky
From Whiskyfun.com
Colour: pale gold.
Nose: this one is completely different from the FF, much more austere and brutal at the same time. Ultra-sharp, without any sweetness or nuttiness. Cut grass, lemon zests, metal, wet paper… Then we have some very nice whiffs of rubbed mint leaves, fresh almonds, putty, linseed oil… No ‘compromises’ here, which may be unexpected from Blair Athol’s usual light profile (now, the FF wasn’t light, for sure).
Mouth: sweeter and a tad rounder than on the nose, and curiously much closer to the FF albeit more nervous and sharper again. Bunches of candied citrus fruits (your pick), pine resin (cough syrup), mint, white pepper, ginger… Not too complex but vivid and very nervous, with superb hints of peat coming through after a moment. A perfect complement to this one’s ‘resinous mintiness’.
Finish: very long, even more focused on pine resin, with also even more peat and lemon. Comments: 12 years in a cask + 30 years in a bottle + a perfect screwcap = a perfect combo it seems, and probably a nightmare for all bean counters up there in Scotland. SGP:553 – 91 points.