Tag: Inver House Distillers Limited Page 2 of 3

A smoky release from the Scottish Highlands. Today I look at the anCnoc Peatheart Batch 1 single malt Scotch whisky. It was released in 2017 as the first permanent, peated expression in the core anCnoc range. It is peated to 40 ppm.

In comparison, Highland Park whiskies sit at around 20 ppm, while Ardbeg whiskies are peated to about 50-55ppm.

This NAS whisky is produced at the Knockdhu distillery in the village of Knock in Aberdeenshire. It was founded in 1893 when John Morrison, who owned the Knock Estate, discovered the high quality of the water that ran through the estate. It sits on the border between the Speyside and Highland whisky regions.

Also Read: Rhino Whisky

The current owner is Inver House Distillers Limited, and they changed the brand name to anCnoc. They also own the Balblair and Speyburn distilleries. The anCnoc core range includes a 12 year old, 18 year old, 24 year old and a 35 year old whisky. My bottle is from Batch 001.

It was matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks. Non-chill-filtered and naturally coloured. The Peatheart retails for around R800 in South Africa (pre Covid).

anCnoc Peatheart Whisky Review 

REGION: Highland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Light golden wheat

NOSE: Freshly cooked oats drizzled with honey, some earthy notes and hints of smoke. Delicate and airy. Fruity sweetness with citrus blossom. Inviting and refreshing.

PALATE: Smoked barley, citrus fruits, vanilla sweetness and chocolate. Notes of earthy peat, pepper spice, oak and cardamom. It is not an Islay medicinal type of peatiness, but more a smoky, burnt wood and wet earth type of peat.

Water brings more fruity sweetness forward. The nose was delicate, and I was expecting a softer dram, but it was wonderfully warming and delicious. Medium body.

FINISH: Sweetness that moves to peat and smoke and orange blossom. Medium length.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The anCnoc Peatheart single malt Scotch is delicious and easy-drinking. A perfect whisky to introduce someone to Highland peat. Highland peat, for me, is more green heather, fresh pine and smoky when compared to the more medicinal Islay peat.

It is a big peat mouthful, but elegant and with enough sweetness and complexity. Peathheart has a great balance between the peaty and sweet notes.

A refreshing addition to my whisky collection. Perfect for our cold winter months to drink next to the fire. It also nicely shows the range from this underrated distillery. Worth getting if you spot it in stores.

Also Read: The Wild Geese Whiskey

The last of my tasting notes for Balblair for this year. I have reached the last of my Balblair samples and today I look at the Balblair 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Earlier in the year, I started with the Balblair 12 year old and moved on to the Balblair 15 year old whisky.

The 15 year old was a definite favourite. The Balblair 17 year old is a travel retail release and also delicious but a lot harder to get your hands on. It is worth looking out for it when you travel.

One of the unusual things about this Highland Distillery is the hits of history that stands just outside of the door. There is a Clach Biorach, a four-thousand-year-old standing stone with Pictish carvings on. The new (and older) branding celebrates this stone age artwork and I love the design.

The  Balblair 18 year old single malt whisky has been matured in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in first-fill Spanish oak butts. It is not chill-filtered and has a natural colour. In terms of pricing, the 18 year old retails for around R 1 900 and is available in South Africa through WhiskyBrother Shop.

Balblair 18 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Rich gold

NOSE: Creamy toffee and fresh fruit with a hint of warm spices and malt. Freshly baked pastries, toasted oak and sherry sweetness. Lots of sweet ripe fruity sweetness.

PALATE: Ripe summer fruits sprinkled with vanilla sugar and hints of toasted oak. Fresh pineapple, apricot and freshly baked buttery pastry with bits of toasted nuts and cherries. Creamy and full-bodied. Mild spices including nutmeg and pepper. Water releases more fruity notes, but it is so easy drinking that you don’t need to add water.

FINISH: Fruity sweetness with bits of warming spices. Long and lingering

RATING: EXCELLENT

Simply delicious. I enjoyed the Balblair 15 year old tremendously and did not expect the Balblair 18 year old whisky to top it. But this bottling had the perfect balance between fruity sweetness and warming spices. The spiciness in the Balblair is soft and engaging while highlighting the creamy fruitiness and rich malty character of the whisky.

For me, it had a perfect balance. Of all of the four releases that I was fortunate to try, this is the one I want to buy for myself.

Also Read: Dunville’s Three Crowns Sherry Whiskey

Sample disclosure: I received this sample from Balblair. Though received as part of a promotional event, the review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

The third in my series on the new Balblair age statement releases and this week I look at the Balblair 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky. The Balblair 12 year old whisky set the foundation on which the rest of the series stands.

This is followed by the Balblair 15 year old, which is just delicious. The Balblair 17 year old whisky is a travel retail exclusive, so not quite part of the standard range, but something to look forward to when you travel.

Balblair is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries. Founded in 1790 by John Ross, the distillery lies in Edderton in the Northern Highlands of Scotland.  Balblair is owned by Inver House Distillers who also own the anCnoc whisky and Speyburn whisky brands.

Interestingly only an estimated 15% of Balblair’s capacity is bottled as a single malt. The rest are all used for blends, including Hankey Bannister.

The Balblair 17 year old single malt whisky is matured in American oak ex-bourbon casks and then finished in first-fill Spanish oak butts. It is not chill-filtered with no added colour.

Balblair 17 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Gold

NOSE: Dark chocolate, bits of sultanas and cherries with wood spice. Minced fruit, oak and pepper.

PALATE: Not as sweet as the 15 year old with more wood spice and fruit. Nutmeg, white pepper mixed with vanilla. Red apples, sweet figs and juicy oranges with oak and hints of honey. Bold and chewy with a medium body. Adding water makes the 17 year old a bit sweeter, but interestingly, it does not tone down on the spicy notes.

FINISH: Dark chocolate and pepper with a hint of dried orange peel in the background.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Balblair 15 year old release showcased the fruity sweeter part of the Balblair style. This Balblair 17 year old whisky focused on the more wood spice part of the profile. It is delicious and a perfect after-dinner whisky.

This whisky will work well with a cheese board filled with fresh fruit and mature cheddar cheese. Next time I look at the last of my samples, the Balblair 18 year old whisky.

Sample disclosure: I received this sample from Balblair. Though received as part of a promotional event, the review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

Today I am looking at  the last of the Balblair miniature bottles that I found in a cupboard at the end of last year.  This one is the Balblair 1990 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky release. John Ross founded the Balblair distillery in 1790, and he situated it close to the railway.

This made shipping the whisky easy for the Ross family. Inver House Distillers Limited purchased the Balblair distillery in 1996.

Other distilleries owned by Inver House include the Speyburn Distillery, Knockdhu Distillery, Old Pulteney Distillery and the Balmenach Distillery.  Inver House Distillers also own the Hankey Bannister and Catto’s blended whisky brands.

Also Read: Balblair 17 yo whisky

Balblair whisky is bottled in beautiful bottles that stand out in my collection. The design is inspired by the nearly Pictish stone Clach Biorach. The bottles don’t carry age statements but have Vintages – the year that the spirits were distilled. The current vintage at the distillery is the Balblair 2005.

The Balblair 1990 was distilled in 1990 and bottled in 2014 making it a 23 yo. The spirit  was matured in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in Oloroso Sherry butts for another 2 years. It has a natural colour and is non-chill-filtered. The price for the Balblair 1990 is around R 1 750 in South Africa.

Balblair 1990 Vintage Whisky Review

REGION: Highlands

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Golden copper

NOSE: Fruity sweetness, vanilla, hints of spice and citrus. Elegant and soft with a wonderful balance between the fruity sweetness and the spice. Bits of dried fruit, florals and soft wood.

PALATE:  Plums, toffee apple, citrus fruit, oranges with hints of black pepper. Citrus fruits come through first, followed by honey-covered raisins. There are hints of spicy cloves, nutmeg and dry oak, dried fruit, honey and raisins. A bit of water releases more sweetness, but you only need a few drops.

FINISH: Medium length with hints of citrus and pepper

RATING: EXCELLENT

Every time I try this Balblair single malt release, I notice something else about it. The first time I tried it, it reminded me of a library full of old leather-bound books. Rich and dark. This weekend it reminded me of a fruit orchard in high summer. Overripe fruits, and citrus with honey bees buzzing past. Fresh and elegant. A lovely dram worth sharing with special people.

During 2019, Balblair moved away from their vintage releases into age statement releases. I captured some tasting notes for the Balblair 15 yo whisky as well as for the Balblair 18 yo whisky and a few other of their releases.

Also Read: Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Whisky

Another of the miniature bottles I found while cleaning up my whisky storage area; the Balblair 2003 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky. This little bottle was leftover from a Balblair Twitter tasting a couple of years ago.

The Balblair distillery was founded in 1790 by John Ross. The distillery was in the  Ross family for three generations, and the business was passed down from grandfather to father and son.

The opening of the railway near the distillery, it made shipping their whisky to England and the world more accessible for the Ross family. In 1895 the distillery moved even closer to the railway line and had a refurbishment where all the equipment was replaced by the latest technology.

However, the original water source, the Ault Dearg burn, that was used during the early years was deemed so significant that Balblair distillery still makes use of it. The distillery changed hands a few times and in 1996 Balblair Distillery was purchased by Inver House Distillers Limited.

Other distilleries owned by Inver House include the Speyburn, Knockdhu, Old Pulteney and the Balmenach Distillery, as well as the Hankey Bannister and Catto’s blended whisky brands, are part of their portfolio.

The Balblair 2003 single malt was distilled in 2003 and bottled in 2015. The release was matured in second  fill bourbon casks. The price for the Balblair 2003 whisky is around R 650 in South Africa.

Also Read: Toor Whisky

Balblair 2003 Vintage Whisky Review

REGION: Highlands

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Quite light golden amber

NOSE: Notes of freshly cut oak, vanilla, spring flowers, fruit sweetness and a bold maltiness with hints of honey and spices.

PALATE: Peppery spice and orange blossoms, fresh  mint,  oak with faint hints of caramel. The 2003 single malt is creamy and smooth. With water, there is more honey sweetness. Faint hints of chocolate cherries in the background.

FINISH: Spicy with a bit of pepper and oranges

RATING: EXCELLENT

A delicious dram. Not heavy or intense, but with enough character to make you sit up and take notice. This dram is the perfect pre-dinner drink. It has a bit of alcohol heat that water tones down, but be careful when adding water. You need to add only a few drops of water to soften the dram.

Balblair whisky is bottled in vintage-looking bottles that stand out in my collection. The bottles don’t have age statements but indicate the year that the spirits were distilled on the label.

Not too many of the older  bottlings are still available in SA, but I notice that WhiskyBrother Shop still has a Balblair 1989 as well as some Balblair 2003 available.

The current bottling out at the Distillery is the Balblair 2005. During 2019 the distillery started releasing age statement whiskies starting with a Balblair 12 yo and going up to a 25 yo whisky. The range also includes a Balblair 17 yo whisky that is only available in travel retail.

Also Read: Dalmore Cigar Malt whisky