Provenance Blair Athol 10 Year Old - Douglas Laing's
Delicate, Juicy, Oak, Vanilla2023-02-12
Smell
On the nose, the Single Malt is soft and sweet. We think of freshly baked butter cake. This is joined by notes of vanilla, honey and oats. The aroma is rounded off by a pleasant maltiness complemented by cereals.
Taste
On the palate, the Blair Athol is not as soft as the nose suggested. Caramel toffee, honey and vanilla are joined by surprisingly spicy flavours. Intense oak leaves a distinct tingle on the tongue despite the creamy mouthfeel. Despite its age, the spiciness verges on light ethanol pepperiness.
Finish
The medium-long finish is also dominated by toasted oak spice. This leaves a clear bitterness on the palate. Behind this, there is still some grain and hints of dark chocolate.
Thoughts
We are not sure where this Single Cask Scotch Whisky wants to lead us. Sweetness competes with spice and bitterness and leaves us with a somewhat unround feeling. The journey is interesting and definitely worth tasting, but the flavours could be integrated a little better in the overall composition.