Balblair 1993/2024 - 30 yo - G&M CC UPPER #1963

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 54.2% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Balblair matured for 30 years in First Fill Sherry Puncheon number 1963. Distilled in 1993, the whisky was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail on 18 April 2024 for the Cask Strength range of Connoisseurs Choice. This single-cask release yielded 481 bottles at 54.2%. It is non-chill-filtered, contains no added colouring and comes in a wooden box.

The long maturation in a first-fill Sherry Puncheon brings together a pronounced fruity character, sweetness and spice: dark berries, dark sugar syrup and anise contrast with tart red fruit, pepper and ginger.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, bold blackcurrant aromas mingle with dark sugar syrup and anise. Dark cherry develops alongside mandarin and a subtle hint of beeswax polish.
• Palate: Orange zest and redcurrants come together on the palate, followed by black pepper. Ripe red apple then emerges, accompanied by tart raspberry and liquorice.
• Finish: The finish is medium-bodied, with lingering notes of fruitcake and spicy ginger.

Distillery/Bottler:

Balblair was founded in 1790 by John Ross near Edderton in the northern Highlands. The distillery was later moved closer to the railway line, to its present site. It has belonged to Inver House Distillers since 1996. Clear wort, wooden washbacks and small, squat stills are part of its production approach and provide the foundation for a fruit-forward spirit.

Gordon & MacPhail is a family-run whisky company based in Elgin, with a history dating back to 1895. The company had its own casks filled with new-make spirit at Scottish distilleries and then oversaw its maturation. The whiskies were stored either at the distilleries or in the company's own warehouses in Elgin. Over four generations, the family developed its understanding of the interplay between spirit, cask and time. For this bottling, the spirit came from Balblair; Gordon & MacPhail was responsible for the whisky's maturation in cask 1963 and its independent bottling.

Facts: