Blair Athol (The Bloody Sergeant) 2013/2023 - 10 y.o. - Macbeth Series Act One

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 51.8% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

For the Bloody Sergeant, Elixir Distillers combines two cask profiles that underline Blair Athol’s robust character. Whiskies matured in Bourbon Hogsheads were married with those from recharred former wine casks. The bourbon casks contribute vanilla and toffee, while the wine casks add fruit and tannins. The red wine influence is particularly apparent in the firm structure, rather than in fruit notes alone.

This ten-year-old bottling represents the wounded soldier who reports on the battle to King Duncan at the beginning of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Part of The Household within the Macbeth Collection, it was released in 2023 with Act One. The release comprises 2,800 bottles at 51.8% alcohol. The whisky is bottled without chill filtration or added colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose opens with yellow apples, increasingly reminiscent of baked apple. Orange, malt, cinnamon and nutmeg mingle with toasted cake and a little fresh mint. Raisins and toffee emerge later, along with a hint of milk chocolate.
• Palate: Spice becomes more pronounced on the palate: clove and liquorice meet dark, slightly bitter beer, leafy notes, blackberries and malt extract. Nuances of ginger, cocoa powder and burnt pastry add to the picture. The red wine influence is expressed chiefly through tannins.
• Finish: The long finish remains spicy. Black tea, light tannins and cinnamon linger against a backdrop of cocoa.

Distillery/Bottler:

Blair Athol is located in Pitlochry, in Scotland’s Perthshire region, and its history dates back to 1798. The Highland distillery is known for full-bodied single malt and also contributes to the character of Bell’s blended Scotch. For the Bloody Sergeant, its robust spirit is showcased through a combination of bourbon and wine cask maturation.

Elixir Distillers selected the whiskies for the Macbeth Collection together with Livingstone and bottled them for the project. The collection encompasses 42 characters across six ranges. Dave Broom wrote the character portraits, while Sir Quentin Blake created the illustrations. The edition thus brings together a selection of different Scottish whiskies, literary characters and specially designed labels.

Facts: