Murray McDavid 16 Year Blair Athol Single Barrel (The Alston)

Murray McDavid's 16-year Blair Athol single barrel, released under The Alston label, is a cask-strength Highland single malt from one of Scotland's longest-operating and least-celebrated distilleries. Blair Athol, founded in 1798 in Pitlochry, is best known as the heart malt in Bell's blended Scotch, but independent bottlers like Murray McDavid have spent decades proving the distillery's spirit deserves attention on its own. This single cask spent sixteen years in quality oak and was bottled unfiltered at natural strength, typically between 54 and 56 percent ABV depending on the barrel. Murray McDavid, the Speyside-based independent bottler founded in 1996, built its reputation on single-barrel releases that let distillery character speak without heavy-handed finishing. Blair Athol's house style leans nutty and malt-forward, a reflection of the distillery's long fermentation and traditional copper pot stills. The Alston series showcases Murray McDavid's cask selection discipline, with each barrel chosen for balance rather than eccentricity. The distillery draws water from the Allt Dour burn, and sixteen years in oak softens the spirit's edges while preserving the cereal sweetness and stone-fruit notes that define Highland whisky from this part of Perthshire. The nose opens with banoffee pie, dried mango, and toasted almonds over a base of sweet malt and creamy caramel. On the palate, fresh cereal notes meet ripe apricot and summer fruits, balanced by gentle spice and oak char that never overwhelms the malt. The finish is long, with lingering sweet spice, strawberry sweetness, and a floral lift that keeps the whisky from getting heavy. At cask strength, this drinks best with a few drops of water to open up the fruit and spice, though committed drinkers will find enough structure to enjoy it neat. Pair it with aged cheddar, dark chocolate with sea salt, or roasted almonds. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.