Balblair 1996 Of. Cask n°22 - One of 669 - bottled 2018 LMDW

Lot presentation

Balblair 1996 Of. Cask n°22 - One of 669 - bottled 2018 LMDW

The wine

A single cask Balblair (#022) distilled in 1996 and bottled at cask strength in 2018, matured in a first-fill Spanish oak butt. A limited edition of 669 bottles for La Maison du Whisky, a whisky and spirits importer and distributor founded by Georges Bénitah in 1956.

About the Producer Balblair

Scotland, Northern Highlands. Distillery operational. Owner: Inver House Distillers Ltd.

It was at the dawn of the new millennium, under the leadership of Inver House Distillers Ltd - the distillery's new owners from 1996 on - that Balblair freed itself from its past as a blender's malt (Ballantines', Hankey Bannister, Pinwinnie, etc.) and became a single malt in its own right. Unpeated and frequently aged in ex-bourbon casks, Balblair released numerous small-batch vintage bottlings. In the early 2000s, the classic 10 Year Old and 16 Year Old Elements versions were joined by two outstanding versions aged respectively for 35 years (1970) and 33 years. It was, however, with two bottlings from 1966 (38 years) and 1974 (27 years) matured entirely in sherry casks that Balblair veered off the beaten track and attracted the attention of collectors.