The second whisky in the Balblair Collection, Balblair 15 Year Old is a full-bodied, velvety single malt that has been matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in first-fill Spanish oak butts. This creates a rich, sweet whisky with spicy aromas of honey, gingerbread and prunes. The palate is velvety-smooth and full of dark chocolate, tropical fruit and warm spice notes.
Nose: Baked apples with cinnamon and raisins at first. The raisins are juicy, the cinnamon sweet and the apples just sharp enough to balance everything. Spiced biscuits develop, with runny-honey sweetness and set honey complexity.
Palate: Garibaldi biscuits and barley sugar sweetness lead to toffee apples, cinnamon gobstoppers, aniseed balls and brown sugar. Sponge cake develops, heavily dosed with mixed peel, and hints of barrel char and spicy oak build around the edges.
Finish: Apple skins and nutmeg fade to leave damp oak and apple jam.