Highland

Balblair 2002 Vintage Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46% ABV
$60
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Balblair 2002 is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky that has been uniquely marked with the age the whisky has been laid down.

Balblair was established in 1790, making it one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland and the oldest working distillery in the Highlands. Every year, Balblair Distillery Manager John MacDonald tastes, judges and selects straight from the cask, bottling at exactly the right moment, when the balance between the age and the character of the whisky is at its best. Small batches are made available when the time is right, making Balblair a malt that is released in vintages.

Tasting Notes
Color: Balblair 2002 has a sparkling gold appearance.
Nose: On the nose there are the signature Balblair aromas: floral and fragrant with zesty fruits such as oranges and lemons. The American oak, ex-bourbon barrels used in the maturation impart toffee and vanilla notes.
Taste: Full-bodied, yet sweet and spicy in character, with hints of oranges, lemons, green apples, toffee, and vanilla. There is a typical long finish as the floral and fruit notes develop and combine with the initial spice and sweetness from the American oak casks.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Bright cherries, overripe bananas, kiwi, and flowery. A Caribbean Banana Mama?
Palate: Milk chocolate, raw nuts, vanilla, light sweet caramel. Caramel flan with a kiwi reduction.
Finish: Light, floral finish with very little wood or burn.
Comments: Wow, what a difference a couple of years makes. The 2002 vintage is head and shoulders above the 2000 we reviewed earlier. A light aperitif dram for sure but very nice.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank the Thomas Collective and International Beverage for providing samples for review.

anCnoc Rutter Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46% ABV
$85
Website

What the Distillery Says:
anCnoc (pronounced a-nock) is a single malt Scotch whisky created using a traditional process that has changed very little over time.

anCnoc is Gaelic for the nearby Knock Hill, and its home distillery is Knockdhu, which means “black hill” in Gaelic. Located on the very edge of Speyside, the Knock estate sits on land rich in peat.

anCnoc Rutter, one of the first releases from the Limited Edition Peaty Collection, honors the original style of whisky in the region, using natural peat from the land. The peaty range brings the phenol content of the whisky
into focus by displaying its PPM (parts per million) level on the bottle. Rutter is the name for the spade used in sizing and separating peat blocks that produces a slow burning turf. This peat gives the whisky a more fragrant
smokiness, in this case, with a PPM of 11. The 46% ABV allows the house style to shine through.

Tasting Notes

Color anCnoc Rutter is sparkling gold in appearance.
Nose Initially very smoky, it quickly unveils the unmistakable anCnoc character with delicate spices, juicy pineapples and gentle vanilla. Rich and warming.
Taste Full-bodied and bursting with peaty richness. Soft undertones of honey, creamy vanilla, toffee and leather are punctuated by the freshness of green apples.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The first thing that comes out of the bottle it bright fruity and floral notes like a banshee escaping from a room. That fades to a pleasant smokiness layered with shortbread cookies and vanilla cream.
Palate: The creamy Bit-o-honey jumps out first but lays down in front of the spicy peppered peat.
Finish: Long and lingering leather, campfire, and iodine.
Comments: So, there’s a trio of these (we only got samples of the first two) and this is first and lightest peated version. I don’t see much anCnoc locally so it’s hard to compare to the usual house style but it is a nicely layer peated whisky. It’s not knock you over the head peat bomb type whisky. Rather, there is depth and layers here. Spend time with it and it will show you many different angles. One of the better peated highlanders I’ve had recently for sure.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Amy with The Thomas Collective for sending over samples for review.

Glenmorangie Companta Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46% ABV
$90 to $110
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Inspired by Dr Bill’s travels across France’s greatest vineyards and the friends made along the way, Glenmorangie Companta (Scots Gaelic for ‘friendship’) is a refined balance between bold spice and rich, smooth sweetness; the result of a careful assemblage of spirit extra matured in Grand Cru casks from Clos de Tart and those of a lusciously sweet fortified wine from Côtes du Rhône.

“The smaller vineyards of the region don’t seem to worry about yields, costs, or timings. They work tirelessly, simply to produce the very best wine. In the same spirit as Glenmorangie, they stop at nothing in the pursuit of perfection.

“This shared philosophy inspired me to create the ultimate tribute to my longstanding love for French vineyards and the friends that I’ve had the pleasure to make throughout my travels.” – Dr Bill

Non chill-filtered

Aroma: On the nose, Companta exudes rich, ‘autumnal’ scents of red berries and damp forest floors, with a hint of fragrant woodsmoke complementing notes of aromatic, nutty oak.
Taste: Upon tasting, a spicy palate redolent of cherries and stewed fruits is slowly revealed, as notes of sugared plums, blood orange and rose-hip syrup emerge alongside milk chocolate and brown sugar.
Finish: Companta lingers on with a rich, mouth-coating finish.
Colour: Cherry red

What Richard Says:
Nose: Leaf compost. Like if you pile up your fall leaves in the corner of the backyard and go digging in it in the spring. Agitate it a little and it opens up to a rich nuttiness with a nice sherry note.
Palate: Light sweetness that slowly builds to a rich more molasses flavor with hints of berry jam. This is very viscous.
Finish: Long, wet, musty oak.
Comments: Looking back over my notes on this one it doesn’t look like it would be good but really it is. 🙂 I was weary of this expression because probably my least favorite Glenmorangie ever was the old Burgundy wood finish but this one works very well. Nice balance and very earthy.
Rating: Stands Out