Blair Athol 23 Year Old Whisky 75cl

This is the kind of long-aged Highland single malt that makes you pause mid-sip because there’s a lot going on, and it’s all good.

At 23 years old, Blair Athol has had time to turn bold spirit into something more rounded and layered, with oak, fruit, and darker dessert flavours weaving together instead of competing. You don’t need a tasting diploma to get it, you just need to like Scotch whisky with depth.

Blair Athol is a Highland distillery (based in Pitlochry) with a reputation for rich, weighty spirit, the kind that plays really well with extended ageing. The result here leans into that classic, grown-up profile, think dried fruit, warm baking spices, and polished wood, not bright and zippy, more like settling into a leather chair.

Tasting notes

• Nose: Raisins and date loaf, toffee, orange peel, cocoa powder, and old oak.
• Taste: Stewed fruit and caramel up front, then nutty chocolate, gentle spice (cinnamon, clove), and a pleasantly chewy, mouth-coating texture.
• Finish: Long and warming, with lingering dark fruit, espresso-like bitterness, and dry, seasoned oak that keeps pulling you back.

If you’re into single malt whisky that rewards a slow pour, this one delivers. It has that “one sip turns into a long night” energy, great for fans of sherried-leaning richness, darker flavours, and Scotch that doesn’t vanish the second you swallow.

It also makes a killer bottle to share with someone who thinks they “don’t get” whisky yet. The flavours are clear and familiar (fruitcake, chocolate, spice), but the way they stack and evolve feels special, and that’s usually the lightbulb moment.

Expect a balanced, oak-led structure from the long ageing, plus enough fruit and sweetness to keep it generous. It’s the kind of dram that feels complete, no need to hunt for flavour, it’s already there, unfolding in layers.

Fun Fact: Blair Athol’s make is a key component in Bell’s blended Scotch, so if you’ve ever liked Bell’s, you’ve already been flirting with this distillery’s rich, malty style.