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Blair Athol
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Blair
Athol
distillery is located in the Highland region
and close to Pitlochry, Perthshire.
It
was founded in 1798 but closed soon afterwards.
1825 saw Blair
Athol reopened by John Robertson, but sadly it remained
operational for only 10 years before closing again.
Elizabeth Conacher took over in 1860, then in 1882 it was
sold to P. McKenzie & Co. who even extended it, but then closed
it in 1932.
Arthur Bell purchased the distillery in 1933 but production
didn't start again until 1949 after much renovation. |
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Blair
Athol was extended
in 1973 as two extra stills doubled the capacity.
The
owners United Distillers (UD), a part of the Guinness group
merged with IDV to form UDV in 1998 and lay the foundation for
Diageo.
Blair
Athol has a capacity of around 2 million litres of pure alcohol
per year, the majority of which eventually finds its way into
Bell's blended whisky.
General whisky characteristics: Floral and nutty |
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Blair Athol,
12y,
43% ABV
Flora & Fauna
bottling
Typical cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Nose: Gentle marzipan
wafting over Scottish heather on an Autumn day.
Palate: Initially very
smooth and creamy opening into nuts and gentle toffee. This is
followed by an after-taste of slightly stronger nuts which
lingers delightfully on the palate. In the longer-term
after-taste a slightly floral, heather-like presence becomes
much more prominent.
Overall Impression: A
nice dram, creamy, smooth and albeit not so complex, very
pleasant indeed.
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Blair Athol,
Managers Choice,
1995-2009, 54.7% ABV
Cask No. 5989,
bottle No. 459 of 570
Matured in European
sherry oak
Typical cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Bugatti Kelch
Colour: Fresh, light gold
Nose:
Complex, pear, slight leather and hints of butterscotch
Palate: Smooth, but
again complex with an initially fresh character, then a mixture
of slightly sweet caramel and butterscotch.
With 3 drops of water: This evolves into a much more floral
character but still offers some toffee and butterscotch.
Slightly sharp (spicy) now.
Overall Impression: A
thoroughly enjoyable Blair Athol. (But the price!) |
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