Balblair 18 Year Review | The Daily Pour

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90Excellent

Balblair 18 Year

American Whiskey Review
  • Distiller

    Inver House Distillers Limited

  • Bottler

    Inver House Distillers Limited

  • ABV

    46%

  • Age

    18 Years

  • Price $100 to $199.99

Distilled by Balblair and matured for 18 years in a combination of American ex-bourbon casks and first fill Spanish oak casks, this release comes to us just in time for the cooler months. Bottled at 46% ABV with no coloring or filtering - a welcome sight to see. Let's dive in.

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Aggregated Reviews
  • Raided Score: 88
  • The Daily Pour
  • By t8ke
  • Balblair is striking in the peppery, oaky, creamy palate and profile. I really enjoy the balance here, and some interesting notes like the citrus and lemon on the nose. Perfect for winter sipping.
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  • Raided Score: 91
  • Distiller
  • By Jacob Grier
  • It finishes with a touch of salinity and a hint of nutmeg, an excellent sipper that doesn't disappoint.
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  • Raided Score: 92
  • The Whiskey Reviewer
  • By Richard Thomas
  • The silky liquid tastes of toffee again, with the stone fruitiness developing out into pears and apricots. This is subsumed by a wave of spice, one that carries over into the finish and runs off down the block.
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  • Raided Score: 88
  • The Whiskey Wash
  • By Courtney Kristjana
  • The nose is far more interesting, but it is a step above the 12-year-old. It has some harsh elements, but with a few drops of water, they ease. On the other hand, water and ice numb any detectable flavor that is not oak.
  • Read Full Review

Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.

House Review
  • Nose:

    Sweet and zesty on the nose; ginger and orange peel, lemon, bitters, delightful contrast of spicy, sweet, citrus.

  • Taste:

    Medium palate, bright malt, some pepper and clove, bold bold tannins and a generous helping of vanilla bean and cream.

  • Finish:

    Long finish, ginger appears once more, balanced nicely by plum, stewed fruit, toffee and a light nutty sherry character.

  • Overall:

    This is a killer single malt from an often overlooked house. Balblair is striking in the peppery, oaky, creamy palate and profile. I really enjoy the balance here, and some interesting notes like the citrus and lemon on the nose. Perfect for winter sipping.

  • Score:

    88

  • Disclosure: The producer provided this sample to review free of charge, and without expectation of review or rating.

  • By t8ke
  • Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources