When: Thursday 16th February, 2012 from 6-8pm – FREE INSTORE
Join us as we taste through some whiskies from Balblair and Deanston. These two distinctive distilleries have forged their own individual approach to production.
Most obvious in the Balblair bottlings is the use of vintage dates rather than age statements. This appeals to Balblair’s philosophy that a mature whisky will tell a blender when it is ready rather than the other way around. This allows Balblair a great deal of flexibility in its mid to high range products and provides the consumer with a ‘snapshot’ of a moment in time rather than a seemingly timeless age statement.
The history of the Deanston Distillery seems to play a great role in stylistic expression of this dram. Situated in a converted cotton mill, this dram sports a distinctive character; a musky, dusty, attic-like element which is unmistakably Deanston. One can almost imagine the aroma of cotton seeping into the building itself and almost sublimely manifesting in the whisky. Deanston is a brand reinforced with authenticity and the urge to create whisky the way it was 200 years ago. Onsite, all processes are conducted by hand with manual processing, chalk blackboard calculations, and hand written records. Deanston is a distillery brimming with soul and it shows in the final whisky.
Balblair 2000
This entry level vintage expression is a pristine example of this much underrated distiller. The individual character leans towards an easy drinking style but with some distinctively fruity complexity. Opening on the nose with custard apples, pear, pineapples and coconut macaroon, the aromas shift from this comfortable lightness to vanilla tinged dried apricots and unripe banana. The palate brings a honey tone (which was eluded to on the nose) to the fore, allowing attention to fall on the sweet and creamy malt character. As the mid palate progresses, there are traces of ginger and sweet spices that emerge, finally concluding with some oak spice and a bitter/ sweet tension. A complex example of an easy drinking dram.
Balblair 1989
Continuing in the distinctive house style of clean and fruit fragranced drams, the 1989 offers a swathe of complexity and depth. Opening on notes of green apple, raisin, unripe banana, mango and candied lemon peel, the nose settles into deeper scents of almonds, warm fudge and vanilla oak. The palate has a syrupy character which offers a myriad of flavours including sherry drenched raisins, honey, nutmeg, dairy milk chocolate, slight pepper elements and a seam of citric brightness. Profoundly smooth on the palate, this is a quietly achieving whisky, ideal for summer drinking or the whisky drinker who is still coming into their own.
Deanston 12YO
Starting on the nose with an oily gloss, restrained aromas emerge of roasted nuts, canvas (cotton-like), citrus peel, leather, mild menthol and a light grassiness. There is an inkling of peat that sits atop the lifted musky aromas and a sweet toned malt character throughout. The palate follows the nose with an oily texture, preserved lemon, caramel and lemongrass. The palate starts soft and sweet, building in intensity through a silky mid palate and finally dries out with some subtle woody oak and coffee. A distinct whisky telling its own unique story.
