Thursday, 15 February 2024

Blair Athol 2006 Hidden Spirits 12 yo


 
 
51,1°
Distillery : Blair Athol -  Highlands
Ex-Bourbon Cask 
Independent Bottling 
By Hidden Spirits 
Limited Edition 
Single Cask 
Bottled in 2019
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Totally Unpeated



Created in 2013 by Andrea Ferrari, Hidden Spirits is brillantly keeping alive the tradition of whisky trading in Italy. Their bottlings often have a little something special for my taste, and we're going to check that out with this 12-year-old Blair Athol, aged in a single and simple Bourbon cask. 362 bottles have been put on sale.




Let's Taste It : 
Yellow apple and white peach. Fresh young wood, Haribo banana. Mint candy, and a very light medicinal touch, vaporub. Liquid acacia honey, with a touch of vanilla and white plums. Sugar glaze. Slight minerality. Shellfish, whelks and scallops. The alcohol is perfectly integrated, but it gradually becomes astringent, even bitter. The palate is a bit aggressive at first, then the fruit rises. It's acidic, woody, velvety. The spices are light, clove and cardamom. Leafy notes. A touch of camphor on the finish, followed by a long, honeyed aftertaste of vergeoise, raw grain, dried earth, sunflower seeds, sultanas and mirabelle plums.
 
In Short,
It lacks power and fullness, but on the other hand it has great complexity and subtlety. The nose, in particular, evolves a great deal, at first it's a basket of yellow fruits, then it's honeyed, costal, mineral and finally astringent. Very surprising. It's a curiosity that will delight enthusiasts. What's more, the price is quite right, and it can still be found on certain websites. You can go there with complete confidence.
Score : 88 









                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :
 
                                           Warpaint - Billie Holiday

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