Blair Athol 2013/2025 - 11 y.o. - 2nd fill ex-Caol Ila Cask #310727 (Best Dram)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 56% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Highland single malt matured for eleven years in second-fill ex-Caol Ila hogshead no. 310727. It was distilled on 15 September 2013 and bottled on 28 May 2025. The cask had previously held Caol Ila single malt and combines the whisky’s creamy, fruity character with sweet peat smoke.

The single cask yielded 318 bottles of 0.7 litres each at 56% ABV. The whisky is non-chill-filtered and contains no added colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, oatmeal and caramelised apple mingle with butter cake, a hint of lemon zest and a restrained smoky note.
• Palate: The whisky opens powerfully on the palate and feels creamy, almost unctuous. The vanilla-sweet peat smoke is more pronounced than on the nose; butter cake and light tannins follow as the fruit recedes.
• Finish: The long finish develops from sweet through spicy to a lingering peaty echo.

Distillery/Bottler:

Blair Athol has produced whisky in Pitlochry, Perthshire, at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands since 1798. The distillery uses water from the Allt Dour, unpeated malt and a fermentation of around 50 hours; grainy, nutty and fruity notes are typical of its whisky. A large share of its malt helps shape the character of Bell's.

Michel Reick is the independent bottler behind Best Dram and personally selects its releases. His selection draws on longstanding relationships with distilleries in Scotland and other whisky regions. For this release, he chose cask no. 310727 and bottled its whisky under Best Dram.

Facts: