A Single Cask Bladnoch 1990/2013

Plenty has been written about Bladnoch these past couple of weeks, mostly because of their unfortunate situation right now. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope that Bladnoch gets new, loving owners. In the mean time: let’s just appreciate their whisky!

I’m starting to suspect I might be a fan of Bladnoch. It’s one of those malts that for whatever reason didn’t receive much of my attention until now. In recent weeks I’ve had two excellent Bladnoch-whiskies. One of them during this festival, the other just a couple of days ago during a blind tasting for the Dutch Whisky Forum. Of the first I didn’t make notes (wrong setting), but I do have some of the second. Interested? Then please continue…

Bladnoch 1990/2013 (51,7%, bourbon cask, C# 5070)

Nose: Lovely fresh nose with grass, hay, coconut and citrus. There’s also some malt, caramel and green apple. The emptier my glass gets, the more dusty (not a good thing) it becomes.
Taste: The first sip is a little bit salty. Creamy mouthfeel, good. A bit dry and woody, some ginger, citrus and a very light pepper note. The grassy aroma also translates into a underlying grassy note while tasting.
Finish: Grass, oak. A warm finish with a very feint cherry note at the end. Would’ve liked this to be a little longer and more complex.

Rating: 86

This one makes me want to go out and buy a lot more Bladnoch. The profile of this distillery seems to agree with me.

Photo: Flickr/Martyn Jenkins