Thompson Bros Blair Athol Review

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The Thompson Brothers of Dornoch

The Thompson Brothers are Phil and Simon Thompson, the driving force behind the Dornoch Distillery. The distillery was founded in 2015 on the grounds of the Dornoch Castle Hotel in a small building that once housed the local fire station. With a capacity of just 20,000 litres a year, Dornoch is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland but plans are afoot for significant expansion. The new site will allow the team to increase production to 200,000 litres annually.

When the brothers aren’t distilling, they’re seeking out casks from all over Scotland to be released through their independent bottling business. In this review, I’ll be sampling a vatting of two casks from the Diageo-owned Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochry.

The Trouble with Blair Athol…

Blair Athol has always been something of a conundrum to me. The spirit produced is of undoubtedly good quality but as one of Diageo’s blend-fodder distilleries (even dubbed the home of Bell’s) very little sees the light of day as a single malt.

Its location, just off the busy A9 road, in Highland Perthshire, sees the distillery placed among the most visited in Scotland. That’s something I experienced first-hand back in 2015. I visited during the Easter break that year and had one of the least satisfying experiences I’ve ever had on such an excursion.

Pitlochry is a beautiful spot but something of a tourist trap and since the A9 is the main road from Edinburgh to Inverness, coach-loads of tourists are dispatched on the regular. There’s no harm in that – anything that encourages people to take an interest in Scotch whisky is to be welcomed – but as a whisky lover, keen to take some time and learn all the unique quirks of the distillery, it was a frustrating experience being herded through like cattle.

To be fair, as far as memory recalls, I paid for the basic tour. I don’t remember if more premium options were available but perhaps that would have made a difference. The tour group I found myself in was one of several working their way through the distillery simultaneously and when I left, another three coaches were pulling up outside, ready to unleash the next stampede. I don’t know how else you could manage that situation without turning people away but it still led to a feeling of frustration and a desire to escape – something I’ve never felt at a distillery before or since.

In the interest of fairness, I’ve heard conflicting reports from friends who visited the distillery out of season and found a warm welcome and friendly discussion over drams poured at the bar. Perhaps take that as a Top Tip then – it’s best to visit Blair Athol at quieter times of year.

Which brings me to the trouble with Blair Athol. It’s bizarre that a distillery with such continuous footfall would only have one bottling available. You’d think Diageo would be desperate to develop the name into a strong brand in its own right, with several products available to the hordes of tourists that pass through daily. Alas, no. Blair Athol’s spirit contributes to many a blend and the best way to become acquainted with it is to delve into the world of independent bottlers.

The Whisky

This single malt is a vatting of two casks from Blair Athol: a refill barrel and a refill hogshead. It’s bottled at 50% abv.

Tasting notes: A fragrant, floral nose with heather honey, toffee and cinnamon. Trail Mix and Hobnob biscuits. Slight meatiness at the back – like barbecue seasoning. On the palate, there’s a tangerine and mango arrival – Jaffa Cakes! – followed by Toffee Yo-Yos (lots of biscuits going on!). Pepper, clove and ginger. Charred oak at the back.

Thoughts: This is a simple, un-fussy, traditional single malt. Old fashioned in the best way. Rather than being swamped by over-eager oak, the spirit is allowed to breathe, so Blair Athol’s character shines through. There are only subtle hints of the casks’ previous contents. It’s all about the complexity of the spirit itself. There’s also a nice weight to it – which always enhances the experience.

It feels like the Thompson Bros have taken the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach with this whisky. There’s nothing fancy going on, nothing spectacular. Just a good, solid, everyday dram that showcases the personality of the distillery with some subtle cask support.

Price: £60. An accessible price for an enjoyable dram from an underappreciated distillery.

For more about the Thompson Bros or Dornoch Distillery visit here

For more about Blair Athol visit here