Blair Athol stands at the southern gateway to the Highlands in Pitlochry, a short walk from Edradour and a good deal larger. Founded in 1798 as Aldour, it was rebuilt and renamed in the early nineteenth century and has belonged for most of its modern life to Arthur Bell and Sons, and thereafter to Diageo. Its principal role is to supply heart malt for the Bell's blend, which means that single-malt bottlings under the Blair Athol name are comparatively rare.
The Flora and Fauna series, launched by United Distillers in 1991, was designed to give official expression to distilleries whose output was otherwise hidden inside blends. Each label carried an illustration of a local plant or animal, and the Blair Athol entry, with its otter, has become one of the better-loved bottles in the range. It is still produced today, bottled at the original 43 per cent, and remains the distillery's standard single malt.
The whisky is matured in refill casks with a strong sherry influence. The nose is classic old-style Highland: toasted almonds, raisin, dry sherry, a whiff of heather. The palate is medium-weight and nutty, with dark fruit and brown sugar giving way to a slightly earthy, almost mossy character that hints at Blair Athol's heavier spirit style. The finish is warm and a touch dusty, with bitter chocolate underneath.
Unflashy, fairly priced and quietly reliable, it is the sort of dram that rewards repeated acquaintance rather than first impressions. A sensible place to start for anyone working through the Flora and Fauna series.
