Finn Thomson Whisky - Blair Athol 2014

FINN THOMSON WHISKY BLAIR ATHOL 12 YEAR OLD, FIRST-FILL BOURBON HOGSHEAD Finn's local distillery, a few miles from where it all began in 1772 · Highland Single Malt About Finn Thomson Whisky Finn Thomson is the ninth generation of Scotland's oldest whisky family. The Thomson name traces back to the 1770s through Perthshire, where Peter Thomson Ltd built the beloved Beneagles blended whisky using casks from Longmorn, Clynelish, North British, and other lesser-known workhorses. Finn Thomson Whisky continues that tradition as an independent single cask bottler. Every release is hand-selected, bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered, with natural colour. Eye on the past. Vision for the future. Region Highland Distillery Blair Athol Age 12 Years ABV 53.3% Cask First-Fill Bourbon Hogshead Outturn 303 Bottles A single cask from Blair Athol in Pitlochry, Perthshire: Finn Thomson's local distillery, just a few miles from Grandtully, where his family first started making whisky in 1772. Distilled on 6 May 2014, matured for 12 years in a first-fill bourbon hogshead, and bottled on 19 May 2026 at 53.3% cask strength. One of 303 bottles drawn from cask 306428. Non-chill filtered, natural colour, 700ml. Imported exclusively by The Whiskey Lab. There's something special about bottling whiskies from Perthshire: it feels like bringing a little piece of home into the range. Finn Thomson Distillery profile, Blair Athol Founded in 1798 in Pitlochry, Perthshire, making it one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland. Acquired by Arthur Bell & Sons in 1933 and still regarded as the spiritual home of the Bell's blend. Produces a rich, mellow Highland spirit that responds beautifully to active bourbon wood. Now part of Diageo; the vast majority goes to blending, so independent single casks are an uncommon treat. The story of this cask One of the things I love most about Scotch whisky is that your palate never stands still. Ten years ago I'd almost always have reached for a big sherry cask, but over the last few years I've found myself coming back again and again to full bourbon maturation. When the cask and spirit are in harmony, I don't think there's a more satisfying style of whisky. This 12-year-old Blair Athol is exactly why. Matured in a first-fill bourbon cask, it has all the hallmarks I look for: generous vanilla, cream soda, and that unmistakable sweet-shop aroma that takes me straight back to being a kid, standing in an old-fashioned sweet shop deciding how to spend my pocket money. At 53.3% cask strength it carries a lovely richness, but it drinks with surprising ease. There's another reason this cask means a lot to me. Blair Athol is only a few miles from Grandtully, where my family first started making whisky back in 1772, and when I lived in Pitlochry in my early twenties, this was my local distillery. There's something special about bottling whiskies from Perthshire: it feels like bringing a little piece of home into the range. Every cask tells its own story, but this one reminds me that great whisky isn't just about the spirit in the glass. It's also about how our own tastes evolve over time. Right now, this is exactly the kind of whisky I want to drink. Tasting notes Nose Generous vanilla and cream soda, with that unmistakable old-fashioned sweet-shop aroma: jars of boiled sweets and pick-and-mix nostalgia. Palate Rich and rounded at 53.3%, led by vanilla and creamy soda-fountain sweetness. First-fill bourbon and spirit in complete harmony. Finish Drinks with surprising ease for the strength. Lingering vanilla richness and one last visit to the sweet shop. Specification Details Brand Finn Thomson Whisky, Private Cask Collection Whisky style Single Malt Scotch Whisky, single cask Region Highland (Pitlochry, Perthshire) Distillery Blair Athol Age 12 years ABV 53.3% (cask strength) Volume 700ml Cask First-fill bourbon hogshead Distillation date 6 May 2014 Bottling date 19 May 2026 Cask number 306428 Outturn 303 bottles Cask strength Yes Non-chill filtered Yes Natural colour Yes Bottled by Young Spirits Co, Edinburgh Imported by The Whiskey Lab