Balblair Single Malt Scotch Seminar Review

This past Monday, May 4th, I was casually strolling through the "Promotions" tab in my Gmail inbox when I noticed a message from Gordon's, a local liquor store chain, about a Balblair single malt scotch tasting.

Balblair is a single malt that's fairly dear to my heart, being in the same stable with Old Pulteney and AnCnoc single malts, all handled by the inimitable Brian Johnson of International Beverage for the New England region. (Brian and I did some events together many years ago, including a scotch whisky dinner you can read about here.)

The body of the email said the tasting was being held that evening, May 4th, in about an hour. "Whoa!" I shouted, causing my wife to ask what was going on. It wasn't just that it was a Balblair tasting - it was also that the tasting was to include a spectacular lineup: the 2003, 1999, 1991, 1990, 1983, and 1975 vintages! My birth year is 1983 and I had my eye on this whisky since it was introduced a few months ago, so I really wanted to go.

I'll save you the marital negotiation details and skip right to the part where I finally went to the tasting.

It turned out the tasting was being handled by none other than Mr. Brian Johnson himself, and he actually recognized me after all these years. Brian gave some generous pours and regaled us with many stories of the distillery and the whisky, including some great details about how the whiskies are matured.

So here are my brief tasting notes, in case you're interested in trying this lineup.

Balblair 2003 (46% ABV, matured solely in Buffalo Trace bourbon casks, bottled in 2014): Sharp fruits, charcoal backbone. Full but not too complex. Overall rating: 85.

Balblair 1999 (46% ABV, matured primarily in bourbon casks and then finished for 4 years in oloroso sherry casks, bottled in 2013): Cognac-like initial flavors, then medium cooking spices. Overall rating: 87.

Balblair 1991 (43% ABV, matured solely in bourbon casks, bottled in 2009): Oh so smooth. Thick fruits, juicy finish. Overall rating: 91.

Balblair 1990 (46% ABV, matured 20 years in bourbon and 4 years in oloroso sherry): Like the 1999 but smoother. Overall rating: 90.

Balblair 1983 (46% ABV, matured solely in bourbon casks, bottled in 2015): Nose is ripe fruit, palate is super deep with ripe fruit. A hint of smoke. Wow...what a whisky! Overall rating: 95.

Balblair 1975 (46% ABV, matured solely in oloroso sherry casks, 5% peated malt, bottled in 2012): Deep woods nose, heavy burnt rubber on the palate, and a bit of peat. Lots of old wood - a little too much for my taste. Overall rating: 90.

The 1983 was my favorite by far, but even for the evening's sale price of $292.49 a bottle, I just can't bring myself to buy it. I would still take the Old Pulteney 17 and pocket the remaining ~$200.

Old Pulteney/Balblair/AnCnoc tasting

Had a great time last night at Umami, a new restaurant opened by my friend Noon, where we tasted the lineup of Old Pulteney, Balblair, and AnCnoc single malts.

Leading the tasting was Iain Baxter, Marketing Director of Malt Whiskies for International Beverage Holdings Limited, the operating company of the three distilleries from which we were tasting whiskies. Also attending was Liza Weisstuch, a freelance writer who has scribed articles for Whisky Magazine, the Boston Globe, and the New York Times, among others.

Kevin with Liza Weisstuch and Iain Baxter.

Pulteney is still one of my absolute favorite distilleries, not just because it produces some awesome spirits, but also because it is decidedly unique. Located in Wick in one of the where-the-hell-are-we parts of Scotland, Pulteney is the northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland. It produces only about 1.4 million liters (sorry, "litres") of spirit a year, which is fairly diminutive compared to what most well-known distilleries crank out. It also calls itself the "genuine maritime malt" and, I believe, rightly so - its aroma and flavors bring to mind the seashore and a fishing vessel...appropriate, since Wick used to be a prominent fishing port.

I was also turned on to Balblair and AnCnoc a few months ago, and you can see my reviews of a few of those whiskies on this blog here and here. I think these whiskies are even less well known than those of Pulteney, but I'm happy to help spread the word, as they are making some great products.

Thanks to Noon from Umami for hosting us all in her new venue, and to my friend Brian Johnson from International Beverage for working out the schedule so we could all meet!

Liza, Iain, Noon, and other folks enjoying the tasting.

Old Pulteney tasting with Iain Baxter

I just found out that there will be a tasting of Old Pulteney single malt Scotch whisky on Thursday, October 28th, 8:30-10:00pm at Umami in Brookline. The tasting will be led by Iain Baxter, the senior brand manager of Old Pulteney, and will also include a scotch cocktail and passed appetizers for $15/person. A very reasonable price for what is sure to be an excellent event! (If you've followed my blog at all, you'll know I'm a huge fan of Old Pulteney. I'm even thinking of starting a fan club called the Pult Cult. A bit drastic-sounding, I know...)

To get a spot at the event, please send an email to noon@umamiboston.com with your name and those of any guests you want to bring, as well as your phone number.

If you haven't had Old Pulteney, or even if you have, a chance like this in Boston is not common. I'll see you there.

Whisky review: Old Pulteney 17

I've already raved about how much I like the Old Pulteney 12, the flagship whisky of the "Genuine Maritime Malt" that is Old Pulteney, and how I think it's one of the best value whiskies on the market. Maybe I was a sailor in another life. Either way, how does its older brother, the Old Pulteney 17, compare?

Well, it's a bit unfair to compare the two. The two whiskies are not meant to just be a younger/older combo. The 12 is matured solely in ex-bourbon casks, while the 17 uses mostly ex-bourbon casks with some ex-sherry Spanish oak casks. The Old Pulteney website touts the 17 as an after-dinner drink but makes no mention of the appropriate time for the 12 - I guess that means any time is appropriate! (In all seriousness, I think you should skip the dinner and get right to the whisky. Or make the whisky your dinner.)

Anyway, har she blows...

Old Pulteney 17, 46% ABV
Single malt Scotch whisky (Highlands)

Appearance: Amber.

Nose: I can smell this from a mile away (the glass isn't even in my hand yet - it's on the table next to my computer). It has that great Old Pulteney saltiness. Now, after actually nosing the glass, I find raisins, cranberries, more salt, young wood, and green apples. Pepper. This rabbit hole just keeps going. Outstanding.

Palate: Honey, red apples, milk chocolate, light sherry notes, and some peaty/earthy tones. Soft and tender like a warm evening with a lover. But it's got a little kick left in it...like most lovers after a warm evening.

Finish: Maritime with sweetness (floral) - perhaps just a bit too sweet. Smooth and lingering firmly on the tongue. This lover will call back tomorrow.

Rating (of 100): 96. Just plain sexy. This bottle contains an excellent balance of pretty much every good flavor I've had in whisky - salt (which I like), sweetness, and some earthy tones. Clocking in at around $75/bottle, they are giving this stuff away.

Single Malt Scotch Whisky Dinner

Just casually holding a bottle of Old Pulteney 17.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of co-hosting the first-ever Ivy+ Single Malt Scotch Whisky Dinner at Om Restaurant in Harvard Square. (Ivy+ is all the Ivy League schools plus MIT, Stanford, and a few others, depending on who you talk to.) We had a great night, with two Scotch whisky cocktails prepared by Om's mixologist Noon, four single malt tastings, and a great three-course meal.

The single malt samplings for the night.

My partner in crime for the night was Brian Johnson, the Northeast District Manager for International Beverage Holdings Ltd., the company that distributes the fine malts we tasted...which were the AnCnoc 12, AnCnoc 16, Balblair 1997 (vintage, not age!), and Old Pulteney 17.

Brian showing off his ability to lift an Old Pulteney 17 display box.

While most attendees were students or alumni of MIT, we also had a good showing from Yale and Harvard (and they played nice together). I'm hoping to be able to put on larger events so we can include alumni from even more universities.

Attendees enjoying their food, drinks, and my picture-taking.