Ballindalloch 2015

New Distilleries, 12Feb2025: The Hearach First Release https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/239805/the-hearach-first-release 83- Strathearn Inaugural Bottling https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/251209/strathearn-inaugural-bottling 82+ Ballindalloch 2015 Vintage Release https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/251306/ballindalloch-2015 82+ Ardnahoe 5yo INaugural Release https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/258513/ardnahoe-05-year-old 84+ Ardnamurchan 5yo 2018 - Dramtime https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/260941/ardnamurchan-2018-ad-1118-ck1973 80+

Light, fresh, bright fruits, and on the 3rd or 4th sniff, vanilla also comes into play. Oily and fruity on the palate. Simple but good.

having visited Ballindaloch in september 2024, this one brought back happy memories!

Very delicious with a lot of potential. Really like this distillate.

Kalisse I was quite impressed with this relatively small distillery when I visited in September 2024. The distillery only opened in September 2014, and what we have in the glass is a limited edition of 1,200 bottles, bottled exclusively for the Benelux. It's a 2015 distillate matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, blended to 48.5% ABV. On the nose, I get vanilla and green banana, complemented by a hint of butterscotch and some woody spices. Think nutmeg and clove. Then comes a soft, quite appealing floral note, along with something minerally like riverside pebbles, although the whole thing might seem a bit "easy." There's nothing wrong with that, I think. This is quite oily on the palate. Charming. Hints of citrus and banana, as well as some unripe pineapple and malt sugars. Again, on the easy side, but flawless. A gentle spiciness adds a bit of weight. Think white pepper and candied ginger, as well as a touch of kalisse. Midpalate, some young, yellow apples and stewed quince with a single drop of honey appear. The finish may be a bit on the short side, but the fact that it is a bit waxy makes up for a lot. A nice vatting from a young distillery. Admittedly, €115 isn't cheap.

This is a characterful distillate, yet it might be a little on the safe side.

90% first fill ex-bourbon, 10% first fill ex-oloroso sherry.

Sniff: Light and a tad young. Chalky minerals, green fruits, some young alcohol. Vanilla, some undercooked pastry (cookie dough?). Quite spirity with some alcohol sweetness. Sip: Fresh and quite crisp. Almost like it's chilled. There's some alcohol, with young spirity notes of grass and moss. Some alcohol sweetness with a hint of vanilla and oak. Granny Smith, some grapes, star fruit. Swallow: The finish continues down the same line but focuses a little bit more on the minerals. A bit more oak too.