Balblair 1975 / 2012 2nd Release 46% vs Balblair 10 yo Gordon & Macphail 100 proof
Balblair 1975 / 2012 2nd Release 46%
Not quite the fruit explosion I hoped for, but wait a minute, it speaks like an old time highlander. Austere, with cold paraffin, chalk and crushed granite. To be fair the zesty bite of juicy green fruit follows not far behind, along with a drop of camphorated oil, dry bark and piles of cut grass. The tongue shows more chalk and clean medicine, and by the end it’s hard to conclude that whole wanders far from being a liquid version of a minimalist marble statue, which incidentally are also the best things I love about Clynelish. 88 pts
Balblair 10 yo Gordon & Macphail 100 proof
Good lord, dazzling sherry casks were at work here. Rich, jammy, sticky, and oozing purples and chocolatey browns, like preserved fruit dipped in a chocolate sauce that’s been spiced up to the rafters. A bit of tar and a bit of earthiness to keep things grounded. Sooty grills and dry firewood. Charred herbs, a scratched copper pan, leather aprons, all leading to a dry stony finish. On the tongue this one again tends towards a lean suppleness instead of a blockbuster heavyweight, but whos complaining. 92 pts
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