Balblair 2000-2014, Single sherry cask #1341 A.K.A – ‘The Black Balblair’

This ‘Black Balblair’ (not the formal name, just a name I’ve given it) caused quite a stir (a few comments, really not much of a stir, but I love drama) when I posted a sample bottle of this very dark sherried whisky. I had not planned on writing tasting notes, but quite a few people asked me how it was, and is it worth looking for, and paying big money for, so, as a service to community (and since I feel like writing about it) here’s a wee post.

This single cask aged for only 14 years (when you look at the color of this baby, you can understand why I am saying it is “only” 14 yo), was originally bottled for the Russian market, and some bottles did make their way to the NL shops , where they sold out quickly for some € 170. I did think 170 bucks was too much , but was glad to see my mate Sjoerd running a bottle share of this stuff, and I immediately opted for 10cl. I have tasted a sister cask way back in 2014 in a Balblair online tasting (Cask 1345 – here : score 90) which was brilliant, and was quite as dark.

 

Balblair 2000, 14 year old single cask #1341 , 51% ,  £250 in recent auction BB_russia

Nose: sherry. Lots of it. But no sulfur. burnt caramel, toffee,  black tea leaves,  ripe even overripe oranges,  marmalade and spice. Kirsch and damp wood lots of that.

Palate : Xmas cake,  sticky caramel,  coffee beans,  bitter sweet blood orange marmalade,  nuts,  plums and black ripe berries,  tobacco, hint of some smoke.

Finish : tobacco,  dry and bitter Java, dark chocolate wood and hints of sweet sherry.

Highly enjoyable stuff, and quite clean for this kind of monstrous sherry effect and color. A great after dinner dram, that would go well with chocolate desserts.  Not worth 250 quid IMHO, but if you’re a sucker for very dark sherried whiskies…. well…

Score : 89/100

4 thoughts on “Balblair 2000-2014, Single sherry cask #1341 A.K.A – ‘The Black Balblair’

  1. The Whisky Exchange had their own cask, cask number 1343 (which I think you tasted).
    Sells in auction for over £300 (top price was £360 in SWA). Score of 89/90 is a fair score.
    As you quite rightly point out, they are very heavy on the sherry (possibly a little to heavy) but still a great dram.

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