Blair Athol 1989 Carn Mor Review


“Tropical Rain Forest”

Country: Scotland
Region: Central Highlands - Pertshire
Brand: Blair Athol 1989 (Carn Mor - Celebration of the Cask Series)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 24 Years
ABV: 57.2%
Chill-Filtration: No

Colour: Golden (Natural Colour) 

Nose: The Alcohol is quite strong so be sure to give this Blair Athol enough time in the glass before Nosing. It's quite Malty, Fruity and Floral but also a bit Dusty with Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Straw, Salted Peanuts, Dusty Road, Vanilla, Honey, Red Apples, Mandarin, Lemon, Nectarine, Pineapple and some Tropical Fruit that I find difficult to identify. Mango perhaps. Some light Spices as well, mainly Cinnamon and Ginger. With more time in the glass the Fruits tend to develop and after a while I get some Banana Bread and Tutti Frutti as well. I also detect something that I can only describe as Perfumed Candles. The Oak is of course noticeable but not in a dominant way. There's enough to discover on the Nose but you must carefully find your way around the Alcohol. All in all it's not bad at all although it misses the "Wow" factor.

Taste: Strong delivery thanks to the high ABV. It's still Fruity but the Oak and Spices are more noticeable now. I find Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Honey, Banana, Blueberry, Tutti-Frutti, Orange, Grapefruit Juice, Salted Nuts, Nectarine, Dusty Road, Herbal Tea and Spices like Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon and Cardamom.  

Finish: Sufficiently Long, Fruity, Bitter Sweet and Spicy with Toasted Grain, Blueberry Muffins, Orange, Banana, Mango, Berries, Salted Nuts, Cooked Vegetables, Vanilla, Dusty Roads, Menthol, Herbal Tea, Licorice, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger and Cardamom. The Oak is quite strong at this point.

I added a little Water and that helps to control the Alcohol. Other than that the Aromas and Flavours are basically the same. A bit more Fruit on the Nose and Licorice and Grapefruit Juice in the Finish. You can certainly experiment with a little Water although I still prefer to sip it neat. 

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5


General Remarks: This Blair Athol 24 Years Single Cask Whisky was distilled on the 2nd of November 1989 and was bottled at Cask Strength on the 6th of October 2014 by Indie Whisky bottler Morrison & Mackay from Perth. It matured in an Ex-Bourbon Refill Hogshead with Cask # 6463. Only 228 bottles went to the market and I was lucky enough to buy a sample. This Malt is still available in places and will cost you around 180 US Dollars. 

Blair Athol was founded in 1798 by John Stewart and Robert Robertson. It was called Aldour at first and received its current name only in 1825. The Distillery is located in Pitlochry and is owned nowadays by Diageo. Almost all of the Spirit is destined for the Bell's Blend.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This is an interesting Single Malt, especially on the Nose. With a little patience you discover lots of Fruity Aromas. On the Palate and in the Finish the years in the cask begin to tell and there the Wood and Wood Spices start to dominate although the Fruity and Malty Flavours maintain their presence as well. The Refill Cask still managed to give sufficient Aromas and Flavours to the Spirit. I would have loved to have tasted this Blair Athol at around 15-17 years as I believe the balance between Malt, Fruit, Wood and Spices would have been perfect at that age. Still, if you like strolling in a Tropical Rain Forest, this Blair Athol might just be the Single Malt you're looking for. It's not that expensive for a 24 year old Whisky and you can still find it on the Internet. Cheers!    

Jan van den Ende                                                                      April 28, 2016


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