Blair Athol 10yo Pot Still Birthday
Special bottling by A.D. Rattray | 58.5% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A luscious buttered croissant of a dram, a happy find
Things are different at The Beach
I believe change is something to embrace. I am not advocating chaos nor change without planning. It’s just that too many friends and acquaintances eschew change as they prefer not rocking the boat; just staying the course.
We’ve talked about this. And, as you may know, I have been taught to embrace change. Experiencing life’s differences and embracing new opportunities in different places is something that intrigues me. Wholesale changes are not warranted at every turn, but when genuine opportunities arise, to my eye, it is folly not to at least dip one’s toes in new waters to explore.
But there is one thing about change – as with many facets of life – there is an unpredictability to it regardless of how much planning and forethought is given. As my Father used to say, “life happens after you make plans.” To be sure, one needs to roll with the changes (apologies to REO Speedwagon…yes, dating myself once again). Despite my reconnaissance when making the move to North Carolina, there have been a number of facets that have been unexpected surprises.
Prior to my move south, I had been working as a divorce lawyer in Connecticut for almost thirty years. I knew that moving to North Carolina would be a challenge starting anew with a new set of laws and a new set of rules and procedures. I studied the new laws and procedures, but was I prepared? Not so much, as I was confronted with the local “un-written rules.”
“Things are different at The Beach.”
That is the mantra of my local courthouse. And, I can honestly say, after practicing here in this small, parochial, and introverted county – things are different at the beach. Statutes are suggestions - personal relationships are crucial, and thinking on your feet with un-written rules serving as an ever-shifting rule foundation is a must. Not that I wish the same confusion to afflict others, but I do get a measure of personal satisfaction when I see seasoned North Carolina attorneys from out of county come here, leave confused, addled, and completely flustered.
Of course, the changes that I didn’t anticipate also occur outside the realm of the courthouse. Among them – certainly not the most dire concern of life, but certainly among the most challenging – is the how, when or if I can buy single malts.
I have previously recounted my frustrations and incredulity with the North Carolina ABC system, so I will not rehash that tired ground. Leave it to say that interesting and diverse single malts do not appear on the shelves here. Want to find an independent bottling of a Scotch single malt? Ha! My sides hurt laughing so hard at the thought!
In Connecticut, I wouldn’t always find amazing and different bottles, but they were around, sprinkled here and there. The fact that I had the ability to find amazing and different bottles – even IBs – was something that I now recognise I took for granted.
Without independent liquor stores here in North Carolina, it has been an enormous shift in thought process on how to continue to satiate my single malt yearnings. That sounds horrible as if I have some horrid addiction… but when you can’t find any Scotch malt of interest, the struggle becomes real! I overcame constant frustrations by channelling the old adage: necessity is the mother of invention.
I have found four different routes to skirt the ABC system. In no particular order, we first have the mule network. This option often falls squarely on the shoulders of my son, Connell, who lives near Washington DC. Second, I have scoured the interwebs to find a surprising number of North American distilleries who will directly mail their wares to my little corner of North Carolina. I’m surprised at this being allowed as I live under ABC overlords, but I am not asking questions. Third, whenever I’m able to drive to a non-ABC state, I am able to do my bottle hunts once again. It is a bit disheartening that it takes almost a three hour drive to get to South Carolina, but it is what it is. And, finally, I have more fully appreciated the route of whisky auctions.
With the auction route, there is an enormous upside and a significant downside. The upside is that this is the best means by which I can find independent bottlings. I absolutely love reading about the spectrum of these offerings. Perusing through an auction’s varied lots of independent bottlings is also an amazing means to find and sample previously unknown distilleries. And, finding whiskies as close to direct-from-the-cask is a wonderful opportunity.
And then, there is the flip side…
The flip side, of course, is the cost for us on this side of the Atlantic. The fees, charges, and taxes levied on top of the purchase price are routinely in the range of expensive to obscene. The costs make the auction route one that I take sparingly. But when I do elect to go the route of auctions, I do so (1) with a plan of attack, and (2) after having saved up a few bucks.
This review, as well as the next three installments, is a celebratory pat on the back, sharing with you the auction haul I snagged a few months ago.
My bottle stash in the whisky cabinet had dwindled to a little more than twenty bottles (the single and blended malts, with one grain). My whisky interest and enthusiasm, admittedly, had ebbed at the beginning of the year. The ebb, I am sure, was attributable to the absence of good and interesting single malt options, as a good bottle hunt is something that stokes my whisky fire. With no hunt, the fire dimmed.
I was ready to re-energize. And so, I turned to the auction route after having saved up my whisky coffers. My plan of attack was simply to reinvigorate my sapped malt energies. The plan was mapped out with one price condition and then bottle searches in four parts.
The price condition was straightforward and unbending. No bid could exceed £40 per bottle. Thereafter, there would be four bottle searches:
Find a distillery I had not sampled previously.
Find a distillery that I adored but have not had in the cabinet in quite some time.
Find a bottling from a loved distillery with a unique twist.
Find an older Bunnahabhain 12. (Mrs. Shaw and I are particular fans of Bunna 12, and have regrettably observed the distillate’s quality dwindling over the past few years, from our experience.)
Still patting myself on the back, let me share how my strategy panned out. There were four bottles snagged at the last auction, and this will be the first of four reviews in which I cover each of the four bottles snared in the auction. This first review correlates to ticking the first box of my auction challenge: finding a bottle from a distillery I had not previously sampled.
Review
Blair Athol 10yo, A.D. Rattray, The Pot Still Birthday Bottling, bourbon hogshead #700678, 239 bottles, bottled January 20th, 2020, 58.5% ABV
£40 paid at auction
There remain a significant number of distilleries from whom I have yet to sample their wares. The list is slowly dwindling, but it remains a significant number. As I entered the auction I identified a number of bottles that fit the challenge. As the auction proceeded, this was the bottle, ultimately, that continued uncontested within my price range.
Blair Athol is a Diageo distillery whose wares are primarily used for Bell’s blended malt. To my experience here in the States, Blair Athols are not often seen other than its one official bottling – a twelve year old Flora and Fauna.
This is one of those distilleries, for me, that has carried more than a bit of mystery and intrigue. As I was making an inventory at the beginning of the auction, I did a mini deep-dive into the history of Blair Athol. The distillery is located in the Highland town of Pitlochry. A distillery has been there since 1798, with an original name of Aldour. The name changed to Blair Athol in 1825. At least one account states the name change was made to impress or honor the Duke of Athol who owned the land where the distillery stood.
Regardless, it became a part of a whisky blending operation in the 1880s, but during the Great Depression fell on hard times. The distillery was closed from 1932 to 1949. Blair Athol was purchased by Arthur Bell & Sons to be used for its blended whisky. By the 1970s Bell’s was the UK’s top-selling blended Scotch. In the 1980s Diageo became the owner of both the Bell’s label as well as Blair Athol, continuing to use Blair Athol for the Bell’s blend.
I had never had any Blair Athol pass over my lips. And, when I saw this on the auction site, and after seeing the specs which only whetted my appetite more, I was fully intrigued. After sweating things out toward the end of the auction, I was declared the winner of the bottle at £40. I had satisfied the first bottle task, but was curious if the flavor experience would match my level of anticipation and intrigue.
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A luscious buttered croissant of a dram, a happy find
Nose
The richest of butter cremes. Walking into a French bakery that is in the process of making croissants. Powdered sugar on lemon cookies fresh out of the oven. Tea roses. Runny honey. Floral. White grape juice. Buttered dinner rolls. Slightest hint of toffee. An amazing nose.
Palate
That butter creme unfolds over the tongue and coats so very well. Rich. Candied ginger comes forward unapologetically. Canned peach clingy syrup. The ginger quickly builds into a white pepper crescendo that overtakes the buttery and bakery notes. I am a bit surprised by this significant ginger and pepper front rolling in as I did not detect it on the nose radar. I go back to the nose and even looking for it, I don’t find any ginger. That butter creme, and buttered dinner rolls are so prominent and lovely that I could lose myself nosing this glass all night. But, back to the palate. After several attempts over several days, I have the same experiences.
The initial taste is the amazing and predominant butter creme. Rich and luscious. If this was the only theme, I would be a happy man. After the initial butter creme, those peaches and some candied lemon come forward. Frosted Flakes. Vanilla custard tarts. Mid-palate, the ginger and pepper ultimately take hold and subdue with significant prickle, and this builds and holds on with a lengthy finish.
Adding a dose of water tames the ginger and pepper, allowing the butter creme and fruit to linger. Of course, too much water blurs and dulls the taste here. After playing with different amounts of water, my preferred water dilution is down from 58.5% ABV to, roughly, 50% ABV. Here I find the magic spot for this whisky.
If you love a spiced and prickly dram take this neat. If taming the significant prickle works better for you – as it does with me – adding water makes this an exceptional dram; it shines. The butter creme, buttered dinner rolls, fruit, honey, and a floral note are simply lovely. The ginger/pepper prickle is tamed, but not neutered. A touch of bitter chocolate and toffee appear ever so slightly during the finish which continues on and on. Yes, I do lose track of time when sipping this after having added some water. I have never had a whisky with these butter creme/freshly baked croissant scents that permeate a nosing; nor have I had a palate with these vanilla creme, peaches, candied lemon, and patisserie notes. The ginger and pepper build and finish was unexpected, but I do enjoy it at the 50% ABV level where it compliments but does not overwhelm. This is a special bottle.
The Dregs
Can you tell that I have been enjoying this bottle over the past few weeks? This was a great way to begin my auction haul. Until I examined the bottle, I had no idea that this whisky was bottled, and had remained sealed, since 2020. Until I poured my first dram of this liquid, I had no idea that a whisky could have such a luscious buttered roll/croissant nose. And, until I sampled this dram, I had no understanding of what Blair Athol distillate was, or could be.
As I had never had any Blair Athol previously, I purposefully kept myself ignorant of what others have said about the profile from this distillery. I didn’t want to succumb to the power of suggestion. And, after getting past the shoulders of this bottle, I finally took a peek to read how others describe the Blair Athol profile.
Scotchwhisky.com says:
Cloudy worts and a short fermentation time give the nutty base, but it is distillation which adds real weight to the distillate. A controlled level of solids coming across in the wash still add a rich, deep, malt-loaf character to the new make. It is this character which allows it to show so well in ex-Sherry, although for blending purposes the majority of the make is destined for ex-Bourbon.
This description is mirrored in 2025’s The Malt Whisky Yearbook. The descriptions are so vastly different from my experience with this bottle. While I do appreciate the weight (though not oily or viscous), I am not tasting a malt-loaf character here, nor any types of nuts to discern. Yes there is a sweet malty note – which accompanies the buttered rolls, etc. – but not to the extent of a “malt loaf”.
Of course, the cask makes all the difference. Any distillate will be markedly different if aged in a tired, old cask as opposed to a first-fill new barrel, as but one variation factor. But it is still remarkable to me that the flavors I am experiencing with this A.D. Rattray bottling yields such a different flavor profile. All I know is that this was aged in an ex-bourbon hogshead, and bottled at cask strength. I will simply chalk this up to the magic of single malts.
What a terrific surprise this bottle has been. So utterly glad to have this Blair Athol and the ability to check that distillery off my list. More importantly, the liquid is glorious. I can’t remember the last time I scored something over a 7/10, but with a little water this whisky clears that mark.
A good harbinger of how the remainder of my haul would be – more on that to come in the next three reviews.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
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