A Single Malt Exclusive from the Hidden Gem of the Highlands
2006 Balblair 13 Year Old K&L Exclusive Cask No. 76 Spanish Oak Oloroso Seasoned Butt Cask Strength Single Cask Highland Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)
“…few sherried malts will offer so much and cost so little.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L SoCal Spirits Buyer

NOTE: Our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have curbside pickup and low cost (often free) delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

When it comes to Highland distilleries, Balblair remains under-the-radar for many collectors. This is a shame, as the malts coming from here are among the most artfully crafted in the region. Our spirits team visited Balblair in the town of Edderton last year and tasted through an array of casks—the most compelling of which was this 13-year rendition. Aged in oloroso-seasoned Spanish oak, it is every bit the powerhouse you’d expect it to be. As our SoCal spirits buyer, David Othernin-Girard describes it, this cask-strength stunner offers flavors of “graham crackers, Christmas cake, sandalwood, coffee caramel candy, burnt Seville orange peel and English breakfast tea.” Calling this dram complex would be a huge understatement. We’d rank it among the finest sherry-influenced casks we’ve seen this year and is a bottling no single malt enthusiast will want to miss. Because of Balblair’s relative anonymity, its whiskies don’t command the premium some of its more illustrious neighbors do. This makes it a real boon for collectors, as Balblair offers some of the best values to be found in the world of single malt Scotch. If you love a sherry “bomb” as much as we do, then you will be well served by adding this masterwork to your collection. You’ll need to hurry though, as supplies are limited.

2006 Balblair 13 Year Old K&L Exclusive Cask No. 76 Spanish Oak Oloroso Seasoned Butt Cask Strength Single Cask Highland Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (ships as 1.5L) ($109.99)

The wonderful Balblair Distillery has long been under the radar. In the little town on Edderton on the northern coast of Scotland at the southern edge of the Dornoch firth, this great distillery has never garnered the fanfare of its prominent neighbor just a few miles down the road in Tain. The distillery was originally founded in 1790 and then rebuilt in 1895, but closed during World War I. It wasn’t until 1949 that Hiram Walker fired the old plant up again. Many buildings from the 1870s still stand on the site, but the excellent malt has remained more less unknown to modern drinkers. It was not until Inver House Distillers took control of the distillery in 1996 that we began to see the malt available internationally, and a large investment by Thai Beverage in 2001 set a course for a new chapter in the excellent distillery’s history. Over the last two decades the distillery has become famous for its vintage bottlings and odd squat bottles. Our buyers, Andrew and David, visited the distillery in spring of 2019 to select a cask and meet distillery manager John MacDonald. This barrel is Spanish oak, unlike the vast majority of oloroso butts we see. In addition, it held for many years oloroso wine vinified outside of the sherry triangle, about 140 miles northeast in the region of Montilla-Moriles. The combo of Spanish oak and old Montilla is a rare and welcome surprise. The resulting malt is a big, dark oloroso bomb with powerful spice and unctuous texture.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 09, 2020

The wonderful Balblair Distillery remains more or less unsung except for a few lucky drinkers who go out of their way to find releases from this special distillery. Gordon & Macphail has also bottled a number of extremely high quality casks, as well as including the line in its wonderful “Distillery Label” series. Our first cask of Balblair came last year with the opening up from most of the Inver House Distilleries to this new wave of OB single cask bottlings we’re currently seeing. So we thought it appropriate to see the distillery and traveled to the very north of Scotland to meet distillery manager John MacDonald. He’s good fun and a wealth of knowledge, but the real star of the day was this awesome cask from 2006. There were some older whiskies on offer that day, but this bad boy checked all the boxes and amazingly the distillery honored the pre-tariff pricing that was agreed upon when we ordered back in spring of 2019. Let’s see how it tastes. Color: Auburn. Nose: It starts a bit subtle, which is a surprise considering the color. With some air we start to take off! Graham crackers, Christmas cake, sandalwood, coffee caramel candy, burnt Seville orange peel and English breakfast tea. Palate: Full bodied. Weighty, round, oily. Up front dried golden raisins, roasted almonds, building clove and touches of pepper. Long, lingering, warming spice builds on the finish. A tiny drop of water opens the nose, but retains the a similar profile. Adding red fruits, cherries and currents, on the palate we’ve totally opened up. The spice is turned down a bit with the caramel and dark cherry coming through up front. As it travels tons of sweet orchard fruits—apricots, plums and poached pears—come through. Extremely open and drinkable after a drop of water, but never dropping the bold complexity and unbelievable texture. This is probably a sleeper considering how few people understand the potential of this great distillery, but few sherried malts will offer so much and cost so little this year. If the Glendronach 11 year wasn’t bold enough for you, then this gorgeous cask will probably suit you perfectly.