[R] - redoubtable [A] - articulate [L] - loquacious [F] - fearless [Y] - KZfaq whisky maestro You're on the money with the Balblair 12 Ralfy. We'll need more of this next year - affordable, integrity malts; the antidote to those irksome economic forecasts 😉.

The most consistently underrated distillery in Scotland for many years now, in my opinion.

Opened my Balblair 12, because I had it with these anti Ralfy comments at other Balblair 12 reviews. Complex stuff, odd, eccentric in some way, but no wonder it got a 90. Like to buy more of it. I guess it grows in the bottle, half bottle it must taste very well. At starting up the dram, it had this vinegar smell again, I smelled that at opening the bottle too. But after that a light flower garden rose up. You have to sip this stuff slowly, it changes and is full of surprises. I like it. But not a whisky for beginners or blend drinkers. So far, in my 1.25 years whisky adventure the most complex whisky I had. Everything Macallan does to produce an easy tongue pleaser, Balblair doesn’t, it seems to me. But pleasant, challenging but good whisky for sure. Apparently the Balblair 12 reviews are suitable to sort out the guys who know what they are talking about.

Always fun seeing ralfy enjoying himself 😂

As someone who loves Balblair, I feel vindicated! Wonderful commentary once again Ralfy!

your point on branding is particularly appropriate given Glenmorangies forays into the crayon box.

Ralfy, when I traveled to your beloved homeland in May I made a special point to head up to Tain to visit Balblair. I have a wonderful story about how Balblair came into my life. It involves my daughter, a whiskey tasting here in Chicago, a bad break up between her and her boyfriend, and a lovely time spent with representatives from the distillery that evening visiting Chicago. Anyhow, that’s an aside I will gladly tell you about if I ever get the chance to meet you on some trip to Glasgow in the future. Nevertheless, Balblair holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons. I really appreciate you circling back to this wonderful single malt. I encourage all of your regular viewers to take a moment To visit the distillery should they ever find their way to Scotland. I will caution anyone however as to the roads going to tan are not what we Americans might describe as “2 lane traffic” yeah it is what it is. Anyway, thanks Ralfy. Loved this review a little more than most. Whiskey is a part of my family. Both of my adult children drink whiskey and do so responsibly and with reverence and education. While I was at the distillery, I bottled one of my own straight from the cask. It remains unopened but I intend to open it every year on my birthday and share it with my children. If we both enjoy an ounce of it each time, it may last longer than I’m alive. It brings me joy to think that my children might drink it when I’m gone. OK buddy, not to get too sentimental but thank you again for doing this review.

Balblair 12y @46% 1-litre bottle in Madrid (Spain). 47,50€. Great October gift !!!!! Thanks, Ralfy!!!!!

I just love seeing that 90 card come out. Doubly so when the bottle is already in my cabinet. 😁 I’ve described it as floral and noticeably dry. It is the antithesis of a sherry bomb. Especially as an American… you know, our foods are so often overloaded with sugars, we‘ve almost come to equate brute strength of flavor with quality of flavor. That can make a whisky like this a bit of a shock for some. There is no big sweetness screaming at you like it certainly would from a Macallan or a Glendronach, or even a Glenmorangie. The layerings and nuances here are more subtle, more graceful, and they are accessed from the bitter side of our palates. It’s very different. It takes a couple of sessions to retrain the palate away from standardized expectations, but it is quite rewarding when given that opportunity.

Thank you, Ralfy, you've sold me on another bottle! Always a pleasure watching and hearing you from the middle of the Irish Sea.

Wish they would give the Ancnoc and Pulteney 12 the same treatment

I only recently discovered Balblair -- when I randomly pulled into the distillery when visiting the area a few years ago -- so the rebranding is irrelevant to me. The distillery was wonderful, the staff very kind and knowledgeable, and the malt is one of my favorites. On the heels of an Edradour tribute, you are hitting my favorites/favourites Ralfy -- thank you!

Got this in January. my next door neighbour prior to xmas last year gave me a bottle of a Balblair blended malt ( a gift off his boss John next door doesn't like whisky). It was okay and I used mainly as filler in my infinity bottle. SoI checked out Balblair and bought the 12 yr as it ticked all the boxes. Loved it, hope the retailers missed this review ;-) Vote went in on Sunday thanks for that reminder matey 🙂

The bitter punch with a touch of sour. Beautiful stuff. This is clear proof that whisky is not for misusing as an investment. Whisky is for drinking. with staunch friends. Or for drinking solo, while quietly saluting said staunch friends.

I picked up two bottles for £37 each last week. A veritable bargain. Thanks for the Patron Bothy Live heads up Ralfy.

Excellent review as always. Unfortunately, my old malt mate, I don't agree with your assessment of this whisky. I recently bought a 1 litre bottle for £37 at Birmingham airport to take on my hols in Spain. I thought at that price there was nothing to lose. Wrong! It says it's 'ex-bourbon and some other faffed around tired wood involved. We'll, it ain't first-fill ex-bourbon like old Balblairs used to be. I think the casks involved are so poor that it didn't even taste 10 years old. I blended it with a few drops of Wild Turkey 101 just to impart some bourbon character into the mix and just a few drops made it taste more Wild Turkey than Balblair. That tells me that that oak in Balblair 12 is pretty useless and that's why it tasted like a whisky half the age of the 12 year statement. Honestly, it's one of the most disappointing whiskies I've had for a long time. 78/100 for me. It really is whisky made on the cheap. Inverhouse have completely screwed up Balblair and Old Pulteney. There ought to be loads of reviews for Balblair 12 on KZfaq but there's only a tiny amount. That's because Pulteney and Balblair have dropped off the radar since Inverhouse took over. Prices gone up and quality gone down. I used to enjoy both very much and bought a lot of Balblair and Old Pulteney but not any more. I'm glad you like it Ralfy and it seems many do but that's a nothing whisky for me. It's just my opinion malt mate - just saying. WT

13:24 - - Got me with the Green Ginger. Paused ⏯️ the review & ordered a bottle to pick up after work tomorrow. Also, I completely get your nostalgic description from about 2 minutes earlier 😉

I'll always have a soft spot for Balblair. The 2001-2012 1st edition was my first legal drink! And I still have my bottle nearly a decade later. Balblair's fruitiness responds so well to bourbon casks and I've always felt it had a sibling in Arran. I've been wary of this due to the rebranding and the use of recharred casks but it's good to know my fears are unfounded.

Thanks so much for this review. I actually bought a bottle a couple of months ago. Couldn’t make my mind up at first. Watched the review having poured a glass 12 minutes beforehand 😜 Adding that 5 ml of water was a bit of a eureka moment. Couldn’t believe the difference it made. You’re spot on when you say that this whisky can educate. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the tip. I'll keep my eye out for this one.

Bought a bottle last night and was extremely happy! The mist was evident! Thank you for your reviews. Love them all!

What a light-hearted and gentle dram. Thoroughly enjoyed the refreshing pear and apple sweetness. Balblair’s going to get another loveletter from across the seas :)

Was surprised when my local shop had this in stock. $39.99. Bought two. Just opened for New Years. Very good. Looking forward to the 15 at some point. Thanks for the advice on this bottle Ralfy. On point as always.

I named my first born after this malt.. 🤣and have a couple bottles waiting for him when he is older.. I have always enjoyed whiskeys from this distillery.

Finally opened this tonight Ralfy. Thank you. Another absolute belter of a recommendation. Better than Deanston 12, but similar. Extremely complex & incredible value for money. An Integrity bottling indeed.

Somehow missed this one when you posted it. When we traveled to Scotland in 2022, Balblair 15 was one of the few we brought back with us. Great stuff.

This review is such a joy at the very peak of my excitement about the OSWA this year. Thanks for this 90-mark-worthy malt, it makes me reconsider my decision to stop stocking up malts. After what you predicted here about the future prices, this what we have today seems like a bargain...

Always a favourite summer dram of mine, and exceptional value for money. Yet to see if the older variants warrant the price increase.

With a mark like that for a 12 yr it's a good thing I've hung onto my 75/78 vintage Balblairs

Thanks on giving us the real stuff. In these strange and tough times, people derserve to an excellent whisky. Need to go to Balblair one time myself. I still have a bottle of the 12 year old in my stash. As always I keep it quality and not quantity. No gulping and guzzling. Cheers from a loyal pat-pal in Germany

I think a transformative rebranding can work in certain circumstances i.e. a lesser known distillery producing 40%, chill filtered and coloured whisky moving to integrity bottling. It would signal a new start.

Absolutely love the Balblair 12! Outstanding texture and balance. A very 'adult' malt

Nice review. Many thanks for the review 941 on Benromach vintage 2012 batch01. I bought a bottle based on your video and its very very good 👍

I also think Balblair 12 is real old style whisky and great after dinner with my pipe. Thanks 🙏 Ralfy kindest regards as always. Ciao 👋 S.

I agree that InterBev (Inver House Distillers) are doing an excellent job with Balblair. I'd like to add that their distillery tour and Distillery bottlings are top rate as well. What is not spoken about much is that InterBev also own a hidden gem which for some reason, they choose not to bottle their single malt. I'm talking about the legendary Balmenach distillery. This was known in the 1950s as producing really characterful and meaty Single Malt, similar to Benrinnes and and Mortlach, and particularly good at around 15 years old. yet, Balmenach has never been officially bottled and is only available from very rare independent bottlings. Let's hope InterBev decide to invest in this distillery soon.

Thanks for keeping it practical, Ralfy. You're always an inspiration.

My local liquor shops all have “lotteries” to buy the big buzz brands. Pappy and Springbank are only accessible if you get lucky essentially. And if you can afford the premium of course.

I shared this bottle with friends months ago. I loved it. We all enjoyed it! Balblair is wonderfully unique and thoroughly enjoyable. Perfect summer dram! Thanks for the affirmation! I love your passion

I bought this over the summer because it was an integrity bottling of an ex-bourbon cask whiskey. Within 2-3 months the price is up about $12! That’s before the Ralfy effect! 😩

Picked up a bottle of this in August. Looking forward to it even more now.

Yep, this is already retailing for £85 or more in countries which levy high excise duties on alcohol.

Wow, out of so many whiskies at the Edinburgh airport I’ve decided to go for that one, without seeing this review. Now I’m even more excited to try it! Thank you ☺️

he rebrand of Balblair away from the vintage bottlings really turned me off (despite the fact they do bottle with integrity) and I've since been gun-shy to purchase any of their newly branded range. I'm glad to hear this is a solid pour!

It's on offer here in Denmark. 100cl balblair 12 for only 44 euro. It's amazing

Bought two bottles more. I am a Balblair fan. Bought the 15 as well. Very affordable, very good. And I’ve read back my prior comment, yes, it is still very complex stuff, it grows in the bottle. Balblair 12 is an adventure, really good whisky, very traditional too, which I like.

@4:25 - Now that's why we love our Ralfy!!

Balblair has been my go to elixir for the past 5 years or so, easy yet intricate

Just picked up a bottle on Amazon for £36 🤪

I picked up a bottle of 17yo on the way through Heathrow recently. It was my companion (well, along with my wife!) on a two week holiday in Sicily. When I first tried it, I found it a little … confusing? Pleasant, but my untrained palette couldn’t unravel it. After a few nights, I started to get my head round it, and really came to love it. I love the hint of bitterness. It also seemed to me to have a degree of earthiness. I’m new to the game, and love GlenAllachie and GlenDronach for their ease of access. But this (well, the 17yo) opened my eyes to some new avenues. It’s a distillery I’ll be buying from again, that’s for sure.

Thanks as always Ralfy. Particularly as I’ve just purchased an official bottling

I check out multiple reviews before buying something new. I saw both positive and negative reviews for this one. It was the Ralfy recommendation that made me decide to give it a try. And I'm glad I did. Ralfy's reviews carry more weight with me because they are more in depth about what it is that makes something good or not so good, givning me a better idea of whether I might like it, or not, too. So I take Ralfy's note to the bank, or in this case, the liquor store. I'm a bit of a noob and learn so much from these reviews. He hasn't steered me wrong yet and I love Balblair 12. I can't understand what the naysayers are on about other than different strokes for different folks, I guess.

The next time I'm looking for a single malt, I'll keep this one in mind, and I'll watch for it in bars. Some of the better bars near where I live occasionally have single malts that are a little off the beaten path. I can thank the local bars for introducing me to malt whisky that is well made and naturally presented. I discovered Deanston, Ledaig, Bunnahabhain, Belgian Owl, Del Bac, and Westland at bars, from bartender recommendations. I found all of these to be more interesting than the typical big brand single malts and blends that are prominently displayed at bars and liquor stores everywhere. Anyone who has a good bar nearby should take full advantage of it, as it provides an opportunity to taste a whisky before committing to an entire bottle, and an experienced bartender is likely to have worthwhile recommendations. It's good to keep in mind the distilleries that are not filtering their product to death. Independent bottlings are great too, but availability is very low where I live. I recently found one (Douglas Laing's Old Particular Glen Grant 25-year). It's wonderful stuff, and it makes me want to look for more. I suppose it depends on what is in the store the next time I go shopping. If I see a promising independent bottling, I'll grab it. If I see Balblair, I'll be very tempted. If I see both, I'll have a hard decision to make, or maybe I'll end up with both of them. It's probably best to go out shopping when I'm in the market for more than one bottle to make decisions like this easier.

Brilliant Review by the best reviewer out there ..Thanks Ralfy !!!

Just finished off a bottle of this it was lovely. just popping into the review to see (in retrospect) what you said about it back in the day. Before watching it I will say I got really nice milk chocolate aroma from it - lets see....

Absolutely love this bottle. I bought 3 bottles once I was able to find it. Hard to find in the US. I was a great fan of the 2002 vintage but have not been able to find Balblair since I first tried it. This is just as good and worth the search.

Ralfy thx for you do. I have learned so much for an old guy. Your the best at what you do and Your reviews are for the common man. “ lang may yer lum reek!” From my families origins in Kirkcudbrightshire !!!

Well Done Ralfy, Balblair is an excellent whisky and one I would recommend everyday!🙂👍

I thoroughly enjoyed the Balblair 12 year old, Ralfy! Very high quality and excellent price! £36.50 😊

Just got myself a bottle....again, lovely dram🥂cheers

Ralfy. Babes. I've said this previously there is a plethora of overseas whiskey just waiting to come to the UK and become your new best friend if/when scotch hits silly prices. Take your pick. Milk and honey, Yerushalmi, Amrut, Omar, Brenne, Rampur, Teeling and others will be here en mass just waiting for UK drinkers.

Bought a bottle of the Balblair 12. Very good indeed. I do think I enjoyed the Deanston (whisky of the year) even better. “Good stuff!”

Hi ralfy I hope all is well with you, I'm writing to let you know I recently found a bottle of scotch that I have liked in the past and bought, it had the ralfy effect, I went back to get a third bottle of tomatin 18year old which I paid $80.00 dollars 💸 for, and they went up to $120.00 dollars, I was getting a good deal, but I will not pay that much, so I passed it up, and I'm calling out total wines for gouging us, I have to drive 100.00 miles round trip, this is the 3rd time this has happened over the past year, I refuse to pay for the raised prices, I will go and buy me a bottle of the balblair 12 or older soon because I have been passing it by for years because I just didn't know anything about it, you did a great job on this video as always, waiting for the xtras, cheers ralfy !!!

Regarding the rebranding. It looks like a supermarket chain's attempt at copying the Balblair brand without falling foul of copyright. It's a cheap looking version of the original, with a boring label and missing that wonderful embossed glass the original bottles had. I suppose they are trying to save money. They had better sort out that loose cork thing though.

A candidate for Ralfy's Whisky of the Year 2023?)

A tremendous whisky

My first Balblair was the 05, I went back and bought two more bottles. Balblair is a fleeting experience where I am, s o if I see it I snatch it.

am drinking balblair 89, 43 percent , seems similar to what you say about yours , a quite dry quality tipple that takes a couple of goes to like ,, not a sherry power , but it has its own style .

Can’t wait to see what Ralfy reviews in episode 1000!

I bought balblair 15😊

Big thumbs up from me. Balblair is one of my favourites. Haven't had their 12yo yet though. May have to hit the shops soon. 😁

I went to the London Whisky Festival a couple of weekends ago and was so impressed with the Balblair I used my dream dram token at their stall, a very nice dram indeed.

I also love the Balblair 12!

Thank you Ralfy! I got a bottle of this about 10 months ago after I watched your ‘love letter to Balblair’ vlog. Still have about a third of a bottle. Every friend who tries it is blows away. I wish Balblair’s next door neighbor Glenmorangie took notice started releasing integrity bottlings!

Thank you Ralfy. I have a bottle of Balblair 12, but I haven't tasted it yet. Now I know it must be good, so I will buy another one.

Was lucky enough to find a bottle of the vintage 2005 before they switched to age statements 😃

Top tip of the day: set the playback speed for Ralfy's videos to 1.5

Going to have to get a bottle. It's $57/USD at my store.🥃😎👍

purchased a bottle of this a few months back. It is going far too fast. may have to get another. A wonderful easy sipper before it gets colder and I transition into the smokier heavier malts.

I totally miss the balblair vintages , my first was the balblair 90 which I bought from oddbins in glasgow city centre back in 2017 which is still one of the best whiskies I've tried and the packaging was also one of the best I've seen , however their whiskies now are still decent enough for me to get a bottle now and again.

Sipping on the 2000 vintage of Balblair.... been sipping this for over six years.... don't want it to end.... going slow. 🐌

Luckily enough, where I live it's currently on offer for 42 Euros. Got myself two bottles, one for sipping one for the collection.

I like when you are excited about this.

Thank you for another great one 🎯

I am lucky to be the postman of bertie Cummings granddaughter and when she visited the distillery a few months ago she kindly brought me back the 15 year old sample which was very nice but to be honest I much prefer the 12 yr .

Aultmore has always been one of my favourites but the availability has suddenly dried up. I’ll give this a go as an item of similar quality and price. Can’t wait to try it.

When I was at the distillery in May they told me that all the new make spirit goes into 1st fill ex bourbon casks. The 12 is from those casks and the older bottlings have been re racked into sherry casks for further years. Not sure how accurate that is about all 1st fill ? Only had a sample of the 12 from 3+ years ago right when they rebranded and it seemed pretty light to me. Did a side by side with the 03 at that time and the 03 was noticelaby better. Cheers Ralfy

Ooooooohhh!!! I suspect this maybe a WOTY contender?. Seriously though, other reviewers over the last year or two are really underwheĺmed with some giving it a downright dislike. Just shows how individual tastes can be.

This sounds like a very nice malt but perhaps not one a noob like me should try just yet. I want to make sure I ease into this so as not to overwhelm myself. Properly building my palate's capabilities slowly and over time. Thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Paid 37 GBP for a 1L bottle yesterday in Heathrow Duty Free shop.

@4:25 - It just reminds me of the Penguin commercial back in the 1980's. p p p p p p p pick up a Penguin :)

Cheers Ralfy...wher would I be without a review from the nose and pallet of Ralfy...Al tell ta... I would remain uneducated and ignorant ....cheers pal

Between loose corks, a festering prostate, and a dodgy liver it’s unlikely I’ll be adding this one to the whisky cave any time soon. Unfortunately. 😢

Ralfy did you see Dave T's comment, too funny. I'm looking for all round quality. In short good stuff for Christmas. No window dressing. I think I will try Balblair then Springbank. I Liked the finance and economic reflection bit. Thank you Ralphy, go néirigh an t-ádh leat Chris the Cape Bretoner

Sounds similar to a Glencadam 10

Don’t see Mr Mitchell scoring a £45 whisky at 90 very often. Gets my attention.

I bought a bottle of Balblair 15 YO ...3 years ago...havent opened it yet....guess it is next!

I have a bottle for 2 years in stash, just waiting for your review.

Hi Ralfy, I think this is the distillery west of the Tain causeway over the Dornoch firth. It looked so insignificant as I drove past to do jobs further west. I will look out for it. Nick from York

Balblair 12 was disappointing to me - a distinct aroma of gasoline, which I cannot take. Might have been a bad batch, but this now goes into my personal blend with the 9€ McIntyre I use for mixing and mouth disinfection.

I'm certainly glad you are a sincere and honest man because I am sure you could sell me my own clothes.