Whisky: Blair Athol 19 Year (1995), Hunter Laing’s Old Malt Cask

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 50%

Cask: Sherry Butt

Age: 19 Years (Distilled Oct. 1995, Bottled July 2015)

Nose: Dried salted plums, candied jujubes, strawberry licorice, herbal tea, butterscotch balls, hints of pine and malty pastries.

Palate: Medium-bodied, ginger biscuits, cloves, brown sugar, black pepper, pine wood, lingonberry, floral Parma violets, subtle candied nuts and sesame crackers at the end.

Finish: Medium-length sweet herbal candies and tea.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Butterscotch Tea Flavored Candy

Narrative & Notes: The intriguingly herbal aroma teased at local Chinese candy stores where pickled and salted fruits delight and confound the tastebuds as I recalled a strawberry and cola icee topped with tart li hing mui powder. Butterscotch was not to be missed, along with hints of pine, malt, and juniper. The palate flipped the script as ginger biscuits blossomed with a worn spice box. Tangy berries and floral candies developed on the mid-palate as faintly meaty elements clung on with a nuttiness that only gradually emerged. Sweet herbal notes remained on the palate for a mellow finish.

I initially tried this Blair Athol blind and thought it was a bit weird— in retrospect, I have no idea how I did not guess it was Blair Athol. The slightly funky and tangy spirit always brings me back to rummaging through Crackseed store barrels in search of candied fruits. However, I guessed this was either an American Single Malt or Mackmyra in Sweden. I thought I was being thrown a curve ball with this dram— but, in the end, it was the old double fake-out by my buddy Scotch & Sheen.

Overall, this was a wonderful and slightly weird Blair Athol.  It felt like the perfect dram to kick back with while putting on a movie.

Image Credit: Scotch & Sheen (follow the link for his review of the bottle as well).