Whisky : Blair Athol 10 Year SMWS 68.34 “Roasty-Toasty-Tasty”

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 59.6%

Cask : Re-charred Hogshead

Age : 10 Years (Distilled 17 June 2009)

Nose : Fruity and malty.  Strawberry cream cheese and a toasted whole wheat bagel or Belgian waffle drizzled with caramel and topped with apricot and peach preserves.  Beyond malty, sweet, fruity, and slightly creamy notes of breakfast there were fainter herbal notes of rosemary and refreshing slices of ginger.

Palate :  Medium body with a fruity-oak profile.  Opened with fudge, bundt cake, dried cherries, chocolate syrup, and pomegranate seeds.  The fruit faded a bit over time as tannic oaky notes came forward with cinnamon, gingerbread, and toasted oats.  On the back end were apple skins and Korean pear slices.

Finish :  Medium length and tannic with dry cocoa powder and apple skins.

Score : 5

Mental Image : Chocolate Bundt Cake

Notes : A fairly straightforward and surprisingly chocolatey Blair Athol.  This had little of the same exotic fruits that the last Blair Athol I tried from SMWS, though perhaps the pomegranate was a nod in that direction.  Rather, this was a surprisingly malt driven and relatively easy-going dram.  It was not the most complex dram I have had lately and its youth definitely shone through during the first couple hits— it was a bit hot— but this was still a solid experience.  The roasty chocolate notes gave a nod toward the SMWS name and I thought the nose on this was brilliant, the bagel with strawberry cream-cheese came through remarkably clearly.  The palate was perhaps a bit dry, this definitely picked up a lot of tannins from the cask, and the finish was surprisingly short considering the profile was quite bold.

Overall, this was a tasty Blair Athol that would appeal to anyone looking for a roasty-toasty malt driven flavor profile.  A few drops of water did much to dull some of the youth and highlight more of the fruity profile.