If you’re new here, welcome to Two Drams A Day! Each article is a personal journey where I pair two whiskies, often Scotch single malts among others, to discover the subtle differences that make each one unique and special. My approach is hands-on and intimate: I taste these whiskies side-by-side and share my real-time observations, from unexpected delights to the occasional letdowns. In the end, I choose a favourite, and along the way, I hope to learn something new and share that knowledge with you. If you’re curious about the nuanced and fascinating world of whisky and enjoy a personal touch in your reading, you’re in the right place. Stick around, subscribe, and join me on this flavorful adventure, two drams at a time!
Up for a tasting today is the 13th dram from That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC) Advent Calendar of 2022, and it’s a 9-year-old Blair Athol bottled at 50.4% ABV. Knowing TBWC’s aesthetic, I’m pretty sure this is an un-coloured and non-chill-filtered single malt, and this one looks to be exclusive to the calendar, so I can’t point out a specific batch. I’ve had Blair Athol whisky before, I think from Gordon & MacPhail, but I’ve never covered it on the site. I pair it with a 12-year-old Oban from Diageo Special Releases of 2021, bottled at a cask strength of 56.2%. I’m unsure if it’s coloured, but it’s definitely non-chill filtered, so this should be a great match. The latter comes from my own personal collection of 100ml bottles that I usually stash away when I’m [almost] done with the bottle. Anyway, let’s get to it! But first, we need music! Now playing: Guentner | Spieth – Overlay.
The Blair Athol distillery is owned by Diageo. Located in Pitlochry, it has a long history dating back to 1798. Renowned for using water from the Allt Dour burn, the distillery has a traditional approach to whisky production. Though not as widely known for its single malts, Blair Athol has a solid presence in the world of blends, like Bell’s blended Scotch whisky and whatever else Diageo decides to hide it in. The nose on the Blair Athol is pungent. It smells like sweet caramel, honey, a bit of husk, malt, and lots of fresh vanilla. Although undisclosed, the colour and the nose tell me that this whisky spent its life in an ex-bourbon cask. It’s fresh, so it could have been a pretty active one. The nose on the Oban is completely absent. I have to really dig into the glass to see where all that sweetness is hiding. And so I will not attempt to describe it until I will drop a bit of water to see how it opens up (it’s pretty up there at 56.2%!). But that’s later – let’s take a quick sip neat! Oh, wow, the Blair Athol doesn’t hold back. It’s actually not that strong at the stated ABV, but it’s crisp and honeyed sweet, full of that ex-bourbon flavour. No bitterness, no smokiness, no fruitiness in here at all. It’s not complex – just straight and candied, like powdered sugar. Let’s turn to the Oban now. It is a little oiler on arrival, and yes, the finish is prolonged. It’s got a richer palate, but some of it is overpowered with the woodsiness that’s just a little bit bitter. I almost do not recognize the Oban that I know. We’ll need to add some water, that’s for sure!
The Oban distillery is also owned by Diageo. It is situated on the west coast of Scotland and has been an integral part of the Oban town since its establishment. Founded in the late 18th century, it predates the town of Oban itself! Its 14-year-old single malt should probably be familiar to you, but, as mentioned above, this particular sample is from Diageo’s annual Special Releases series. Let’s add a cap-full of water to both (maybe a bit less to the Blair Athol) and see what happens. The Blair Athol has softened up. There’s still not much complexity here, and the finish is still rather short. I think it’s just a young whisky from a wet cask that probably was ready to be bottled. The Oban opened up now. And here come the flavours of bananas, dried orange apricots, and maybe some vanilla. The oakiness has now subdued, and all of the complexity has given it some texture and some weight. It also has a better nose now. Although it’s still not as pronounced as the Blair Athol, it now carries stewed fruit, honey and grassiness. The Blair Athol is good, but it’s not exactly interesting. It’s all a very even keel here, and the flavouring is concentrated on a single note. If this was music, it would be a drone of maybe only one or two related tones that all come in, sustain, and then drop out. It’s good, but there’s not too much to peel apart, and for that reason alone, it’s unexciting. The Oban plays a spread-out chord. There are the lows (dark-bitter tones) and the mids (umami and sweet fruit), but there are no highs (crisp, citric, sharp tones), and it employs a slow attack, a soft sustain, and finally, a long release. I think it’s better than the Blair Athol as a whole, but to be frank, it’s also unexciting.
| Distillery / Region | Blair Athol / Highlands | Oban / Highalnds |
| Producer | Diageo | Diageo |
| Bottler / Series | TBWC / Advent 2022 Exclusive | Distillery / Special Releases 2021 |
| Stated Age / Vintage | 9 years old | 12 years old / 2009? |
| Cask type | Undisclosed | Freshly-charred American Oak Casks |
| ABV / Cask Strength | 50.4% / Don’t know | 56.2% / Yes |
| Non-chill filtered/ Uncoloured | Yes / Yes 🌟 | Yes / ??? |
| Price | Not on the market | £110 on second market |
| Did it win? / Did I like it? | No / Not really | No / No, I’m disappointed again |
| Would I buy it? / Recommend it? | Can’t buy it / need to try another | No / No – get the core range Oban |
So there you have it, folks, another interesting tasting. I kind of want to give it to the Oban but to be honest, it did not exactly blow my mind. I like that it’s of cask strength and non-chill filtered, but I wish it had a bit more oomph behind the scenes. Also, this is a £110 bottle [at the time of this writing], and although I cannot exactly find an identical bottle of this Blair Athol from TBWC, the 12-year-old Flora & Fauna series (at 43%) comes at [only] £50 quid. I do appreciate the opportunity to taste a rare sample, but I also find it frustrating that I cannot obtain a bottle for myself. With that, I think I’ll pause here and proclaim a draw, or rather, in a slightly negative tilt of the scale, that neither one wins in this round because I’m not exactly jumping at the prospect of experiencing them again.
Two Drams A Day 