Age: 18-Years old

Proof: 86 proof

Finish: Sherry

Source: Blair Athol

Tasting Notes:  Dutch apple pie begins, thick and creamy with elegant apple and pear, honeysuckle, vanilla bean, soft smoke and light oak. Silky caramel lingers beyond it all. It begins to expand as it sits in the glass - sugary raspberry, freshly peeled lemon, white tea, and new leather.

The palate leads rich and layered with spiced pear, gentle smoke and new leather, and freshly brewed coffee. Red fruit is not as prominent on the front palate, but definitely grows more round and plush toward the mid palate with trailing smoked vanilla.

The finish is gentle but weighted, lingering with red fruits, light tannin, lightly oiled leather, soft trailing spice, and dark chocolate.

About: An 18-year old Blair Athol that has been bottled by Hunter Laing for John Rigby & Co.

Blair Athol distillery is one of Scotland's oldest, dating back into the late 18th century. Its modern story begins when it was closed down by Peter Mackenzie in 1932, and was purchased by Arthur Bell & Sons the following year. Distilling recommenced in 1949, and with Blair Athol malt at its heart, Bell's became one of the world's best-selling whiskies. Despite its importance to the blend, Blair Athol was also bottled as a single malt under the Bell's banner in the 1970s and 1980s. New owners, Guinness, were less interested in this when they took over in 1985, but their subsequent iteration, United Distillers, brought a back distillery bottling with the Flora & Fauna release. Despite its popularity, Blair Athol has yet to be bottled under its own single malt brand. Other official bottlings from the Diageo era are very rare too, however the distillery has regularly provided casks to independent companies, many of whom have bottled some exceptional releases.