Blair Athol 2006 Aged 15 Years Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Infrequent Flyers #75 (700ml)

Cask Number: 6135
Date of Distilling: 2006
Matured In: a single Virgin Oak barrel or New Oak Barrel
Un-Chillfiltered

Independent bottlers, have been around for a many years. They source whiskies from different distilleries throughout Scotland and around the world, and using their experience bottle them as single casks. These whiskies are then presented in their most natural form which includes no chill filtering, bottling at natural colour, and more options at cask strength.

Established in 2008 The Alistair Walker Company is based in Grangemouth in Central Scotland. Alistair has almost 20 years experience in the whisky industry and is not affiliated to any one distillery. Alistair’s career in the whisky industry began in January 1997, at Burn Stewart Distillers in a sales and marketing role for over six years. At that time Burn Stewart was the custodian of two single malt distilleries – Deanston and Tobermory. In October 2004, he joined The BenRiach Distillery Company, and remained with them for over twelve years, until the business was eventually sold. This was a new-start business, that had been set up in 2004 following the acquisition, by three entrepreneurs, of the BenRiach Distillery from Pernod Ricard. In addition to BenRiach, Alistair also had the good fortune to work with the GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh Distilleries, with BenRiach having acquired GlenDronach in 2008, and then Glenglassaugh in 2013. In 2018, Alistair found himself on hiatus, and contemplating what to do next.

Keen to be his own boss and also wishing to remain in the whisky sector, he decided to venture into the exciting world of independent bottling. Making the move from distillery to independent bottler is very much a case of ‘gamekeeper turned poacher’. Fortunately, independent bottling is a vibrant category at present; as more and more whisky enthusiasts are seeking out single cask bottlings and whisky releases that are a little different, somewhat unique, and often from less familiar distilleries.

The whiskies the are bottled under the brand name ‘Infrequent Flyers’. That name refers to the nature of many of the casks that are bottled – often whiskies from lesser-known distilleries that are of excellent quality, but have never been widely or consistently available. As such, many of the bottlings are of whiskies that you just don’t see so often – hence the name ‘Infrequent Flyers’.

The Blair Athol Distillery is located near Pitlochry in the Highlands of Scotland. Blair Athol was originally the estate village of the picturesque Blair Castle, at whose gates the distillery now stands. The distillery was licensed in 1825, on the site of an older distillery, and was purchased by Arthur Bell and Sons in 1933. Since then the distillery was purchased by the Guinness Group in 1985. Running 4 stills, the distillery produces approximately 2,300,000 litres annually.

This single cask single malt whisky was distilled at the Blair Athol Distillery before being placed in a Virgin Oak barrel in 2006 and left to mature for 15 years. Bottled at 52.7% abv and marks bottling number 75 of the Infrequent Flyers series.

Only 187 bottles were produced for worldwide distribution and has been exclusively been bottled for importer Whisky & Dreams.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: Tropical fruits of banana, coconut, pineapple and mango which is then followed by malty cereal notes, digestive biscuits or even ANZAC biscuits. Hints of caramel sweetness and vanilla yoghurt.

Palate: Malted barley, fresh muesli and oak is then met with citrus, summer berries and dried stone fruits. Some milky sweetness and new leather is there also.

Finish: Medium with lemon meringue pie, malted barley and roasted middle eastern spices.