Blair Athol 12 Year Old Flora & Fauna
Blair Athol · Blair Athol Distillery
Blair Athol is one of Diageo's great unsung distilleries — most of its spirit goes into Bell's blended whisky. This Flora & Fauna bottling reveals what the distillery can do on its own: a warm, generous Highland malt with sherry influence and genuine depth at a fair price.
Nose
A rush of honey and dried fruit — sultanas and apricot — greets you first. Behind it sits warm malt, a hint of sherry-soaked wood, and a dusting of clove spice. There's an earthy undertone, almost like damp autumn leaves.
Palate
Medium-bodied with a creamy, buttery texture. The palate leads with caramel and peach before shifting to nutty hazelnut and a gentle spiciness. The malt backbone is sturdy, carrying everything with quiet confidence.
Finish
Medium length, with dried fruit, honey, and a final flicker of clove. A faint woody dryness closes the experience cleanly.
- Region
- Highlands
- Cask Type
- Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry
- Peat Level (PPM)
- Unpeated
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills
- Maturation
- Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, minimum 12 years
- Chill-Filtered
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Highland Orchard — 2 oz Blair Athol 12 · 0.75 oz honey syrup · 0.5 oz lemon juice · 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters · Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a lemon twist.
Food Pairing
Roast duck with fig glaze
Nestled in the town of Pitlochry in the southern Highlands, Blair Athol has distilled since 1798, and its Flora & Fauna bottling remains one of the few ways to taste this workhorse distillery's spirit as a single malt.
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