Blair Athol 11 Years (2009/2021) - The Old Friends
Scotch Universe is a German independent bottler based in Dülmen. In collaboration with their office in Glasgow, they offer special releases under various brands. The "The Old Friends" series showcases single cask bottlings at cask strength - unfiltered and with no added coloring. The marketing approach revolves around presenting these exceptional malts as gifts for old friends. Today, we have a Blair Athol in the glass, matured for 11 years in a red wine barrique cask.
The panel
Mean 79.5 · spread 1
Value for money 4/5
- Distillery
- Blair Athol
- Bottler
- Scotch Universe
- Type
- Single Malt
- Region
- Highlands
- Country
- Scotland
- Age
- 11 years
- Strength
- 54% ABV
- Character
- rich
Tasting
Nose
Right from the start, this malt reveals itself as exceptionally robust. Intense notes of red fruits like plums and dark grapes take the center stage. Light walnut aromas and subtly charred notes accompany them. Fresh roasted malt, complemented by a discreet leather note and a touch of pepper, round out the flavor profile.
Palate
The mouthfeel is immediately extremely oily, caressing the palate intensely. As expected, the taste is powerful but less sweet than the nose might suggest. Dried red fruits, a distinctive leather-tobacco note, and pronounced wine aromas characterize this malt. The whole experience is enveloped by intense tannins.
Finish
The finish is medium to long, displaying pronounced oaky spiciness. Reminiscent of mixed peppers, a slight bitterness from the tannins continues to shine.
Verdicts
Marcel
This Blair Athol 11 Year matured in a Bordeaux cask is like a warming friend on cold days – powerful, robust, and full of character. A dram that’s a joy to drink, truly convincing with its intense fruit notes and smoky leather, even if it occasionally leans a bit too heavily on the tannins.
Sascha
A well-structured single cask with a clear balance between intense fruit aromas and spicy oak notes. The 54% cask strength supports the oily texture, yet the pronounced tannins and slight bitterness in the finish demand attention and might be polarizing for some palates.
What it is worth
We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Blair Athol as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.
Latest mean bid £86 across 84 lots · 2024-08