On the way there was an unmistakable scent of bananas and something citrusy. I am not making this up. I think Donna chimed in with a “Yeah!” when I mentioned it.
Here is what we tasted:
*Balblair 10 year 2012 bottling 46%ABV
-smelled of bananas/citrusy
-tasted sweet citrusy and quickly went to oak
-with water sweetness disappears
-smelled of light oak
-tasted lightly sweet with stronger oak, no vanilla
I was surprised with banana and oak in a whisky.
*Balblair 16 year 1997 bottling 46%ABV
-smelled orange citrusy with slight wood
-tasted almost bitter oak
-trailed oak with a hint of citrus
-with water turned almost sour, bitter oak
-smelled faintly of oak
It seemed that an extra 6 years did not add anything to this whisky.