Big bold sherried Balblair, anyone?
A few weeks/ months ago (who remembers) I was able to share a bottle of this big sherry Balblair with some mates. Something told me this was worth getting. I was right …
Balblair 21 Year Old 1993 (cask 1962) – Cask Strength (G&M) , 53.4% , £87(available at MOM)
Nose: not that this comes as a surprise : this is a sherry monster. Big big sherry going on here. Deep and concentrated. Lots of dark fruit and berries. Ripe berries in addition to Xmas cake and a plethora of dried fruit. Sour balsamic note and maybe some mushrooms. There’s also some spices going on : mainly ginger and allspice. Some white pepper too. It’s a bit sulfur you too but if you let it breath for ten minutes most is gone. It’s not a turnoff for me, but I’ve been known to like sulfur in my sherry. 😉
Palate: bam! This is a big palate with some alcohol bite. Big chocolate send mocha up front with prunes and dates as well as chocolate raisin dipped in rum. Maraschino cherries too. Double espresso and hints of sulfur. Tobacco leaves.
Finish : espresso. Salty caramel. Chocolate mousse. Cigar leaves. Tobacco. Dry.
This is good stuff. Not your ordinary Balblair with all this sherry effect, but it’s rich, complex, and yummy with a big mouth feel. Highly recommended for sherry heads.
Just opened a bottle, wow what a dram. Not a Balblair at all, more like what you would expect from a Glendronach. Full of sherry. Only complaint is the colour, a dirty brown as opposed to a golden brown.