Balblair 31 yo 1989 / 2021 Nectar 48.2%

Not exactly a distillery commonly available to independents, so this really caught my eye. But this character – This is what happens when juicy whisky goes into quiet wood and time takes over. The nose tells stories. A frame of dry cedar, oiled but dusty, upon which all manner of yellow and orange juices have been spilt. So much fruit. Marmalade, canned peach puree, tangerine slices, preserved papaya and pineapple and plenty of cinnamon, black pepper, caramel drops, leather and ginger. Eventually an emerging dry woodiness. Clove, lemon and white berry tea. Tart, woody and malty at the same time. Excellent. 92 pts