Balblair Vintage 1990

Buy … no, invest in two bottles: one to drink now, and the other for a special occasion. Or not … and live with the regret.

OK … let’s talk. The Highlands are the Highlands. They are irreplaceable and yield some of the finest single-malt Whisky in the world. But there is something magic about Ross-shire. Along the southern coast of the Dornoch Firth at the base of ancient, Celtic, limestone hills, a cluster of natural springs there feed a blessed few distilleries with what may be the best water in the world for Whisky, bar none. Balblair is one of these.

Founded by John Ross, Balblair has been making Whisky here since 1790. To this day they have only 1 wash and one spirit still … this is a small shop. 100% of their production goes into their single-malt vintage series—each one unique, rare, old, special ….

Back in 1990, the finest water in the world was used to distill hand-malted barley into one of the finest single-malt Whiskies in the Highlands. This Whisky was carefully placed into ex-Bourbon casks … for 21 years. Then, it was moved into Oloroso Sherry butts for two more. The spirit emerged a deep copper color that seems to shimmer with amber-starlight and lusciousness with a complex perfume that is intoxicating in its own right.

Last year’s sister release—the 1989—won more awards than we can recite here and was listed in the book “101 Whiskies to Try Before You die.” It is that good. This is Balblair Vintage 1990. If you meet a woman with such qualities, marry her. Until then, buy … no, invest in two bottles. One to drink now, and the other for your wedding night or a special anniversary. Or not … and live with the regret.