Balblair 1990 2nd Release

This official release of Balblair matured for a quarter of a century. It is the so-called 2nd Release of the vintage 1990 that appeared in 2016. It has been cut to 46% (which I secretly find a bit of a shame). I still have some trouble realizing that 1990 is now more than thirty years ago...

This is very fruity on the nose, though. Think peach, orange, pineapple and apricot. Although the sherry notes are clearly present, they do not dominate. Quite a few bourbon influences can also be noted, such as barley sugars and the meat of coconut. This is delicious!

The first thing you notice on the palate is the intense spiciness. Think nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Maybe even some black pepper, albeit to a lesser extent. Then the fruit comes back in full regalia. Apricots lead the parade. Orange and now also something of Cantaloupe melon rears its head. Unripe banana in the background. Again a big fruit basket that absolutely charms. Seems nice and waxy, I have to say.

The finish is nice and sweet and shows on the deathbed a nice, rather surprising touch of After Eight and something salty.

Impressive. The fact that it sits at 'only' 46% has not bothered me at any time. This is an excellent Balblair. Thank you for the sample, Ivan!

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