Balblair 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

[@WhiskyMystery]

Thanks for the shout out Erik. It was great meeting up. That Balblair sounds great I should try some. Hey someone took my bottle:-) Enjoy Scotland.

[@hamo4558]

Love the Balblair 12. Reminds me of the Glencadam 15. Holds up with a bit of water, & in fact, in my opinion, really brings it to life. Packaging is interesting without any marketing fluff.

[@aimee2234]

Great review, Erik! Hope you're having a blast!

[@Richie.Z]

Great work as always, Erik! I love every Balblair I've had. Great notes and info. Cheers brother!

[@DonnerPassWhisky]

Your a busy man Erik making this video just before leaving for the UK. I really enjoyed meeting you. Phil and Deepa are the nicest people, hosting us and sharing all that Whisky with their internet and real life friends. My big concern with the new Balblair bottlings is that everything above the 12 has some kind of sherry cask finish. All of the Balblair's I have had were refill ex bourbon cask matured and I love the delicate character with lots of underlying complexity that they have allowing the spirit to have a lot of influence on the flavor. If they had the option of older whisky that spent it's entire life in refill bourbon casks then they would have better options for the people who already like what they have been doing. Happy birthday to you and have a fantastic time at the Bon Accord meet up ! Cheers

[@Mike-yx8jo]

Love it Erik!! Much respect to your opinion. Thank you for this awesome review! I am soooo excited to get a hold on them, if I can!!! Thank you again Erik!!

[@jaychung6622]

Thx u Deepa & Phil for sharing your whisky w/ Erik for this review! The 12 may be the only Balblair I ever buy again for a long while...So it’s good to hear it’s a decent dram. Count me among those disappointed by the Inverhouse/Thai Bev marketing department’s decisions lately. One point you missed Erik is that they did this revamp/reprice on the heels of rebranding (albeit far less radically) the Old Pulteney core range. The increased prices on the new 15/18/25 Old Pulteney versus the former prices for the old 17/21 created ill-feeling towards the company for sure. But since the rest of the re-branding wasn’t as drastic, and bc it was only one brand, there wasn’t as much outcry. Now, when they do a wholesale revamp of a second cult favorite, and then send the prices for the 25 into plain stupid territory. It’s really quite understanding as to why people would be upset. Inverhouse have suddenly taken two “insider” favorites and put their aged stock effectively out of reach for most customers. That’s why some reviewers like Rob from Whisky in the 6 (I think it was Rob) suggested fans of AnCnoc go pick some up before that brand gets a shiny new label & double/triple priced. I don’t think it’s any mystery that Inverhouse is aiming to “premium-ize” their whiskies. But I think they’ve really missed the mark. As you said, the new label seems to have followed a “marketing 101” approach, and all they’ve really ended up with is a bland generic look imo. So to use your car analogy, it would be like Ford taking the cult classic mustang, giving it a new but bland generic look, and then tripling the price in order to “compete” with a BMW or Porsche...unwise to say the least. Bottom line is yes, this is just part of the business, and this is a business decision Inverhouse has made. However, no, I do not have to accept or support their attempt to reposition their brand within the market. Instead, I’ll look elsewhere for better value & a better whisky experience. I can find equally delicious whisky, at better value, from Tomatin or Deanston...I can pay a slight premium over those brands for “craft” brands like the Springbank lines or Kilchoman and have a fantastic experience...there really are plenty of choices out there w/o having to support Inverhouse brands. If they want to appeal to the customer who thinks nothing of spending £500 on a bottle of whisky, they can go do that. I’m not that customer & I’ll just go elsewhere then. In my opinion, if educated whisky customers (like those in this community) don’t want to see this cookie cutter rebranding & inflation of prices trend continue through every Scotch brand out there...we’d all be best served by abandoning Balblair for a while. Force Inverhouse to reverse course like Diageo was forced to do with their prior failed rebranding/premium pricing on Mortlach.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Thanks for the contribution to the discussion on the topic!

[@poojaagarwal8083]

Hey Erik, Cool review. It even stars me :) Happy you could enjoy the whisky which I brought over from Singapore, and hope to meet you the next time I visit California.

[@trhoads07]

I can't wait for the new lineup to come to the USA. I have never had a Balblair I didn't love.

[@Pew7070]

Thank you Erik! I have to confess: after Ralfy you’re quickly becoming my No 2 “whisky KZbinr”. But that’s beside the point. I never had Balblair. I was thinking last week of getting their 1999 expression. Which I think I’m still going to get. Of course, when the new 12 yo becomes available in US I’ll get one. But talking about tear positioning that 25 yo is pure insanity. Let’s keep in mind that whisky is very subjective by nature. And especially when it comes to older expressions (over 18) to “access” those malts requires more of an acquired taste than anything else. I’m not saying that business wise they won’t make money at it. Yes, there is the occasional nut that has more money then the intelligence of what to do with them. But those are not a market section I will consider as a sound minded businessman. When I have a 12 at 45, an 15 at 75 and an 18 at 120 to have the 25 (which is “enriched” by “dual maturation”) at 500 does not make any rational sense. It appeals only to the incoherent side of the mind (cognitive incoherence - need vs want) which points to the irrationality and risky nature of my business mind. One might say that the stark contrast between the more conservative nature of the core line in comparison with the 25 yo is not such a big deal I argue that it is sufficiently crazy to tip the whole brand image toward “dislike”. I’m curious to see if Ralfy agrees with me on this one. What is your take Erik? But to each it’s own. I have seen many decision makers loose their jobs for stupid stuff like this. But unfortunately not before they substantially damage their brand.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Thanks for the thoughtful response and contribution to the discussion! Ralfy was on Aqvavitae's (Roy) channel for a 3 hour live steam and they touched on the topic a bit.

[@Pew7070]

Thank you for the answer! I hope I’m not going to be too rude to mention I’m still waiting for your opinion/viewpoint on the matter. Thanks for reminding me about that Aqvavitae vid. I’ll watch it again. It seems I missed that Balblair part. Cheers!

[@Kvs-vf9nt]

@@Pew7070 I agree such amazing core range. Then you see the price off the 25 and it's like wtf!🥴 Then I buy rather couple off 18's.. Also it's still like 480euro here for the 25year old. And the 18y old is only 105eu...🤦‍♂️

[@ulchfirgne]

I have been enjoying this bottle lately and appreciate the 46%, non chill filtered and natural colour from a highland whisky. I saw you humming and hawing about others that may be a better value and plead with you to please point me towards similar quality for less dinaro

[@aimee2234]

Happy Birthday, Erik! :-)

[@dylanthomas7443]

Eric that was a wonderful presentation. How would you compare the old Balblair 2005 with the new 12 year old?

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Sorry, I've not had the old Balblair 2005.

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Interesting Erik, and after some reflexion, I agree it is not necessarily a bad thing, as the master blender (same for serious n.a.s. whiskies mind you !) can use casks of different ages and for instance add a few older casks in the recipe (ok even if it's clearly no more the general trend, like I said in some of my videos). For sure for me the 2 issues I've already talked about but wanna redefine here these : 1 / Abandon of any motiive/drawing (here the pictish symbols) & landscape view (as simplified as it was) that anchored for me the brand in his "terroir" if you like (note the quotation marks) which is a bit sad imho (same for Old Pulteney, and for sure AnCnoc is next, as they belong to the same owner). 2/ The 25 yo issue compared to the recent 1991 (27 yo) bottling...clearly current whisky lovers with a bit more than average wage that could previously make an effort/economize a bit to get that 1991 now won't be able to hope to reach easily that new 25 yo bottling, they are no more the target but rather richer collector's, consumers & speculators... Then of course one will also have to judge by quality, even if some bottles are going more pricey (in other words if the 25 yo is way more beautiful than the 1991 I can understand the jump...even if I don't agree as a customer) and let me tell you next to jump high on price will be AnCnoc 24 yo (I was targeting to buy for my collection) and I'm not happy about it...but to be honest, as for the Balblair 1991, I think they were probably a bit underpriced (around 50 yo 150 € less, if we consider the first market & the fact they are not hilghy speculative distilleries = Ardbeg for instance). To answer another of your questions, alas I haven't tried those new ones yet...but very curious, & yes Phil & Deepa seem to be great guys ! Cheers & I hope there wasn"t too much trouble with yesterday's earthquake...

[@nickwoodward1511]

I actually prefer the old bottle...horses for courses...the unusual citrusy taste remains on point.

[@Kvs-vf9nt]

I bought the 12 now (to see if I like it) and I really like it👍 so I will buy all but the 25 is insane come on 500 eu while the 18 is 120.. Then I rather buy 4 bottles off the 18 for example. Also is it just me, but the 12 with a bit off water tastes better imo..?

[@bluesmanen1]

In about 5 minutes i will be uncorking a bottle. I paid around 40euro for a liter bottle. Very interesting, I've tried a few Balblair and liked them all.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@bluesmanen1]

@@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies A really nice dram..made for the summertime😎

[@sundayeveningscotch4978]

Great review. That sounds like an epic meetup! I can't fault any company for doing what they think is best for their business. And maybe Balblair's older vintages were UNDER-priced for far too long. But that jump in price on that 25 is just too much. I don't see myself ever buying that bottle. I'll probably grab this 12 sometime though. Cheers! Hope you're having a blast in Europe.

[@Grant0610]

Ha ha! I prefer the old labelling! Looks more classy and you can see more of the whisky. Doesn't matter anyway as what is inside is what counts and that is ALWAYS fabulous!

[@TheReal_DeanD]

Hmm I may have to run the store to get the last Balblair 12 yr. It is their 2009 vintage. Distilled in 1997 and bottled in 2009 for $45 still. Regarding the label change and re-positioning. I like the new label as it makes it all easier to understand. Whenever I would go to the store I'd have to study the label in depth to make sure I was buying the Balblair vintage I wanted. Regarding the re-positioning if I was a fan of those Balblair expressions I'd be a little miffed but can understand their perspective. For me though I wouldn't buy it as it seems they're adjusting prices because Balblair feel they can and not per need. I think Longmorn may be repositioning their higher age statement Scotches as well.

[@dropdin7304]

Nice to hear the whisky is still very good, the 12 definitely sounds worthwhile. The new packaging is exceptionally bland and generic though. If I wasn't aware of the distillery already I wouldn't give it a second glance.

[@portnaluinge]

Good review of the whisky, which I’m sure is up to Balblair’s normal high standards, but I have to be honest and say that, although I’ve loved Balblair for decades, I don’t think I’ll ever buy another bottle. I really feel that this rebrand is premiumification at its absolute worst, and frankly I feel it’s an abdication to claim it’s just market forces at work - it’s not, this is a choice that the parent company has made, to impose a staggering 400% price hike at the top end to appeal to investment bankers and those who can only perceive something as being ‘quality’ if it has been priced beyond the reach of the majority. Also, and I say this as someone who has worked in branding and design for 30 years, I think this is one of the most catastrophically regressive and cheap-looking redesigns I can recall. The previous look had character and was unlike almost anything else on the market with an intelligent mix of typefaces, offset silk-screened labels and delightfully intricate bottles. All in a display case which provided a little thrill on opening, and made for a great gift experience. The new look is the definition of generic and, to my eyes, could easily be something you’d see on the shelves of your local ALDI, with me-too type and low-cost paper labels. And while the new boxes will certainly be easier to recycle as you say, let’s not forget they’ll also be massively cheaper to produce. It’s so sad to me that this company has made the choice to replace something truly unique and characterful with yet another cookie-cutter product, chasing predictability and consistency over variety and surprise.

[@RomainRiviere]

Wow, you said it all. Perfect summary of the whole scam. You must love Balblair as much as I do to hate Inverhouse as much as I do.

[@ironmantran]

500 ukp (the 25 yo BB) , for some ppl , like the richer bitcoin owners is but 100$USD . . . "very affordable, f*ck the rest . . ." . . . just saying. Great vid.

[@tomrusack3266]

Chill filtered, artificially coloured?

[@RomainRiviere]

You did not convince me at all with the new design compared to the old. You started by admitting, same capital letters, white on black, a little to the side but NOT A BIG DEAL, and concluded saying it was a major improvement. Besides, the magnet issue is absurd. It felt like a luxury package and you knew what you were paying for. Still, cool to hear you still like their whisky. Can't wait to hear about other whiskytubers like Ralfy, Scott, Rob or Aqvavitae and their take on it. Don't BUY the 25 (this is for everyone that worries about the scotch market)

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Thanks for the contribution to the discussion. I don't plan on buying the 25. I was at the Whisky Exchange in London today (July 5, 2019) and they have the new Balblair line but not the 25. If they don't carry I don't know who would.

[@Stephend005]

No reflection on you Erik, but god do I hate marketing theory, buzzwords and things like "repositioning'. Treat customers (not consumers) with respect rather than thinking of schemes to trick and milk as much money from them as possible and companies will go a long way. People are more able to see these cynical tactics than marketers in their infinite wisdom realise. Great review as always though mate! I think the debate about cynical marketing in whisky is a hot topic right now.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Stephen Davidson my recommendation would be for you to start a business. Tell me your strategy of how you are going to make it survive on the global market. After 2 years show me that it still exists. There is good marketing and bad marketing but not having a marketing plan is doomed to failure.

[@Stephend005]

​@@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies I agree that there is good marketing and there is bad marketing. I'm not arguing there should be no marketing at all, but all the buzzwords and marketing theory in the world can't cover up the black and white of a 450% price rise in one hit on a 25yo scotch. In my opinion it's insulting to the customer that they think they can make that seem reasonable with gimmicky tricks. Balblair is an extreme example I accept though.

[@ThePartySourceReviews]

You met them in America, they are from U.K., but he introduced you to them from in America while he was in the U.K. Enter the Twilight Zone theme.... Doo doo doo doo doo doo...

[@markirek8956]

$100 Canadian way over priced, had the 12 & 15 year old good for rubbing alcohol