Scotland, Lowlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes
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Bladnoch

Distillery description Tasting notes

The distillery

For information about the distillery, please click on the photo.

Bladnoch: official bottlings

Bladnoch

Aged 19 years, Whisky in the Church label

Age
19 years
Alcohol percentage
54,6 %
Bottler
Official
Cask number
single cask 30534
Bottle
16 of 30 btls
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
0/100
Bladnoch 19 "Whisky in the Church"
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Bladnoch
aged 6 Years
Lightly Peated


Age
6 years
Alcohol percentage
58,1%
Particularity
Cask Strength
Bottler
Officiel
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Bladnoch 6 years
Nice fruity first nose. Very refined impressions. Rather complex hints of ripe fruit and some light medicinal touches behind. Nice freshness too.
In the mouth a very impressive attack, very fresh and nice acid unripe fruits developing soon on smoother notes of cashew nuts.
Nice nutty and chocolate finish. Fresher notes appear a bit later.
The 6 years old version was nice. This one is impressive!
84/100

Comment by

Johannes Sauer

Colour: Vino verde. Nose: A very easy and fruity nose. Mostly unripe fruits, fresh picked green sweet apples (Klarapfel, it is called in Germany, early apples being picked right now in the summer...) and plums. Green wine grapes and, yes, again here, the very familiar and well loved typical Bladnoch water melon note. A peaty and smoky note lingers hidden in the back. They call it Lightly Peated and lightly peated it is for sure. Taste: Full and firm, the alcohol grabs you with some might but there is soft malt and this very easy fruitiness to balance the palate beautifully and make it a well drinkable dram at full strength. With water there is delicate hazelnuts, pineapples and soft caramel. I feel kinda tropical easy living but you better not forget the light peat adding some delicate and smooth spicy notes. Finish: The peat takes one step in the foreground while fruits and nuts dance samba on your tastebuds for a good while. No bitter or woody aftertaste. Conc.: A very inspired and well crafted whisky, very lightly peated indeed, let’s see if there is one more heavily peated Bladnoch to follow... Tasting date: 2009-08-05 Price in Kreuzberg: 52,00 Euro

87/100
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Bladnoch

Aged 7 years, lightly peated

Age
7 years
Alcohol percentage
57,8 %
Bottler
Official
Cask number
single cask 333
Dates
Distil: 2-12-2001 Bottling: 9-4-2009
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
84/100
bladnoch 7 peated
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Bladnoch

Sheep Label, 16 years

Age
16 years
Alcohol percentage
55,3 %
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
85/100
Bladnoch 16 Sheep Label
COLOUR: Deep yellow.
NOSE : aromatic, firm, rich. Ripe fruits (apricot), citrus fruits. Flora (iris) Pepper, Butter toffee. Slightly medicinal (eucalyptus, balm).
Palate : smooth, oily. grassy, lemony. Fruits (apple, pear). White flowers, cut grass.
FINISH : lingering, liquorice. Hints of melon, red fruits rouges (raspberry, wood strawberry). Citrus. quince.
(la Maison du Whisky)
This is one of the first official bottlings since the new owner has taken over the distillery. It's a pity that the production of that distillery is so confidential, because many people will not be able to taste this very nice bottle.
The nose is rather fresh and perfumed. A great diversity of aromas, from the cut grass freshness to some medicinal hints. In the palate, the pleasure just goes on, and here also a very great diversity of tastes is present, from fresh ripe fruits to malt. A kind of light acidity also ,may be due to the percentage of alcohol, which is respectable. A very nice finish. In short, a wonderful bottle, typical of its birth area, the Lowlands.
88/100
The nose is rather fresh and marked by cut grass, citrus fruits and a hint of spices. In the palate, the taste is first quite fresh but develops quickly on clearly marked violet or liquorice touches. An exceptional finish, marked by both citrus fruits and liquorice.
84/100
The nose is finely perfumed with cut grass, mint and hay. A nice presence of pepper gives it a very nice dimension. The mouth is first bitter and slightly acid. Very complex, it develops quickly on pleasant liquorice notes while keeping a light nutty character. The finis keeps the memory of liquorice and is specially long and warm, mainly because of the high percentage of alcohol.
84/100
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Bladnoch

Sheep Label, 15 years

Age
15 years
Alcohol percentage
55,0 %
Bottler
Official
Particularity
Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
84/100
Bladnoch sheep label 15
Clearly a fresh nose, so typical of the Lowlands whiskies. Hints of cut grass, ripe fruits (pear, melon). Both a great sweetness and a clear alcohol presence. In the palate, the same impression than during the nosing, with however some mentholated hints and a touch of woood in addition, which enhances the complexity of this nice malt. The finish is lingering, and all the nose and mouth impressions come back, from ripe fruit to menthol, through a discrete woody bitterness.
84/100

Comments by Johannes Sauer


Colour: dark amber with a fascinating greenish (olive) shine.
Nose: Very firm, a hefty whiff of alcohol at the first glance, but later a healthy oak note appears, so powerful you wouldn't guess a lowlander. Also zesty lemon, with water there is more deepness, a very fine complexity joins in with notes of dried fruits (figs, dates) and cane sugar.
Taste: You should try the first sip without water: The mouth is full of the same complex sweetness mentioned above - dried apples, mowed grass, dry hay too, but also very solid wood. Traces of smoke. One could guess it's a Springbank maybe. With water there are soft hints of soap, citrus, fruits and forest herbs (Waldmeister). The whole dram gets a little more accessable.
Finish: Long and smoothly abating, changing more to tropi! cal fruits (pineapple), later is the finish dominated by a plentiful of watermelon I never experienced that clearly.
Conc.: The best (can I say that?) or at least one of the most impressive lowlands whisky I tasted so far.

20/20

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Bladnoch

Sheep Label, 18 years

Age
18 years
Alcohol percentage
55,0 %
Bottler
Official
Particularity
Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
88/100
Bladnoch Sheep label 18
A mix of light smoke and ripe fruit makes the first impression. Nice freshness, enhanced by touches of cut grass and mentholated and peppery notes appear after a few seconds, followed by licorice hints.
The first mouth is clearly on citrus fruit (grapefruit?) and develops quickly on dry fruits and milk chocolate. Very nice complexity. A real sensations firework in the palate with lots of nice flavours.
The finish is lingering and warm (by opposition of the freshness of the nose...) and dominated by memories of chocolate and walnut.
88/100
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Bladnoch

Fauna & Flora ,10 years

Collection
Fauna & Flora
Age
10 years
Alcohol percentage
43,0 %
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
83/100
 Bladnoch 10 Fauna&Flora
 The colour is deep amber. The palate is fresh, sweet and frank. Is stays dry, with a hint of acid, without being bitter.
All fragrances are concentrated in the cent er of the palate. The finish evokes sandal wood and is of an average length.

The first impression is really pleasant, mix of fruits and cut grass. A Lowland with own character. The complexity of it evokes some Speyside whisky, while it keeps the freshness qualities, so representative of a Lowland malt. An excellent bottle I really recommend. Obviously, the Fauna & Flora collection is really remarkable, even if it is rather expensive.
84/100
The nose detects subtle flavours of ripe fruit on a malt background. The taste is close to sweet citrus fruits (orange) and gives an sensation of freshness and sweetness. The finish is rather short.
79/100
The nose is very smooth, with clear hints of ripe fruit. In the mouth, smootness dominates too, with a very nice complexity, going from malted barley and ripe pear to sweet citrus fruti. The finish si rather short and slightly bitter.
84/100
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Bladnoch

Rare Malts 23 years

Collection
Rare Malts
Age
23 years
Alcohol percentage
53,6 %
Bottler
Official
Dates
Distil: 1977 Bottling: 2001
Particularity
Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
85/100
Bladnoch Rare malts 23
The nose is both floral and spiced, with a touch of smoke and quite a nice freshness. Some hay hints. In the palate, a kind of complexity. First slightly aggressive (due to the percentage of alcohol) with some acid and some bitter notes developing quickly on unripe nuts flavours and then on cereals. A nice palette of tastes. Lots of contrasts in the mouth. The finish is interesting, rather long and bitter. After a while woody notes and some more acid hints come back in the palate..
84/100
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 Bladnoch: independent bottlings
 

Bladnoch

Vintage 1980 (Signatory)

Collection
Vintage
Age
18 years
Alcohol percentage
55,5 %
Bottler
Signatory
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
87/100
 
 The colour is gold with amber glints. The nose, vegetable is slightly fruited. The mouth evokes red fruit with precision.The finish is liquoriced and chocolaty at the same time.


(la Maison du Whisky)

The nose is rather discrete. The first palate impression recalls cut hay with some slight animal touches. After this, the mouth develops on liquorice and violet. A finish with an average length reveals clearly liquorice hints. An excellent bottle.
79/100
The rather discrete nose is very fresh, cut grass and fruits. A slightly acid touch over some very pronounced violet and liquorice tastes. The finish is not very long but pleasant, and the liquorice hints are still present.
79/100
A very beautiful nose with nice hints of dry hay and fruits. Some meaty hints too. Then some notes of liquorice wood appear. A bit of smoke on the background. A very pleasant impression in the palate, made from ripe fruits, a touch of violet and the freshness of cut grass. Spices too. The finish is rather long and very discrete hints of violet share the attention with fruit notes.
84/100
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Bladnoch

Connoisseurs Choice 1988

Collection
Connoisseurs Choice
Age
13 years
Alcohol percentage
40,0 %
Bottler
Gordon & MacPhail
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
76/100
 Bladnoch 1988 Connoisseurs choice
 
The Lowland whiskies are not famous for their complexity, but this bottle is the exception to the rule. All the sweetness of a Lowland, with its hints of cut grass allied to the strength of a raced whisky leaves a delicious impression in the mouth for a while. The only trouble is the price of the bottle, but this is quite normal when the recent history of the distillery is kept in mind. A new example of the know-how of the independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail.
79/100
During the second tasting, the complexity seemed to have disappeared, and the sweet honeyish character was dominant. The freshness of the first tasting was not there anymore. A kind of disappointment...
74/100.
A rather floral nose with some discrete grass hints. The taste is somewhere between sweet and bitter, with a relative complexity. It does not really taste like a very great whisky. The finish is rather sweet.
74/100
The nose is marked by smells of malt and wax combined to hint of hay and other farmy smells covering light floral notes. In the palate, clear hints of lavender appear behind some rather neutral malty fragrances, leaving a kind of watery feeling in the mouth. The finish is relatively sweet, rather short and clearly marked by some violet hints.
74/100
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Bladnoch

The ultimate single malt collection 1991

Collection
The Ultimate Single Malt selection
Age
11 years
Alcohol percentage
43,0 %
Bottler
The Ultimate Whisky Company
Cask
Bourbon
=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
60/100
 Bladnoch 1991
 
 The nose does not announce an exceptional malt. Some cut grass smell mixed to acid fruit (pears?) hints. The mouth does not deny this first impression. A clear lack of character and a malt with some warmth. A finish of average length and after all not unpleasant. It is some little malt unpretentious, but very nice, related to its price.
60/100
The nose is quite unpleasantly medicinal, kind of mixture of ether and pear alcohol. Not easy to recognize a whisky by nosing only... In the mouth, a some alcoholic aggressiveness with acid touches, but a however perceptible kind of fruity roundness is not able to do forget about the burning impression the beverage provokes. The question is how it is possible such a cask has been matured at the Bladnoch distillery. The finish is marked by the same alcohol impression, and is rather unpleasant too, with still this touch of acidity which remains much too long.
56/100
A fresh but rather flat nose. It reveals essentially fruit spirit notes. Just pear alcohol. The mouth is much similar. Ripe pears, no depth, even a bit sickly. The finish is not different. Not really interesting.
65/100
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Bladnoch

James Mac Arthur Cask Strength 1992

Collection
Old Masters
Age
10 years
Alcohol percentage
58,5 %
Bottler
James Mac Arthur
Particularity
Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
65/100
 Bladnoch 1992
 The nose is fine with a hint of lemon and fresh grass.
The taste is fruity with some flower touches
A long finish.
 What a cruel deception. There are so many fine versions of Bladnoch, the whisky who reconciled me with Lowland malts. I expected to find in the cask strength version, all the pleasures of the cut grass smells, so characteristic for the whiskies from this region. Unfortunately the taste reminded me some very young white grain alcohol. The high alcohol percentage just adds a burn impression in the palate. This bottle is really to avoid...
56/100
The second tasting took place months later, and did not confirm the first one at all. On the contrary, the nose was pleasant, with the traditional fresh notes, characteristic of the Lowlands whiskies. The alcohol did not bother at all, and the whisky is rather pleasant. The finish was rather pleasant and long too... Is this mystery of the enormous difference between both tastings due to the fact the bottle was open since a while the second time? Oxidation phenomenon? Mystery....
70/100
The nose is fruity and slightly medicinal (ether) with some light hint of cut herb and announces a nice whisky. However, in the mouth the taste recalls more a pear alcohol than a whisky, and this alters the pleasure promise of the nose. A rather plain whisky, no surprise, even if the high degree of alcohol does not hinder at all. A quite long finish, still marked by ripe fruits (pear).
70/100
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Bladnoch

James Mac Arthur 10 years

Collection
Old Masters
Age
10 years
Alcohol percentage
43,0 %
Bottler
James Mac Arthur
=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
67/100
 Bladnoch 10
 
 Unlike the cask strength version from the same bottler, this bottle has a certain charm. The nose reveals some indistinct hints of cut grass, and the first impression in the mouth is that of cut grass, so typical for malts from this area. A certain lack of complexity however, but this is rather normal for whiskies from the Lowlands. A pleasant finish, slightly sugared does not spoil the general impression.
70/100
The nose is rather acid and reveals clearly the smell of cut grass and citrus fruit (lemon). In the palate, a prominence of alcohol and a taste which recalls blank pear alcohol. A warm finish without nuances...
65/100.
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Bladnoch

Signatory Vintage 1988

Collection
Signatory Vintage
Age
12 years
Alcohol percentage
43,0 %
Bottler
Signatory
Particularity
Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
81/100
 Bladnoch Vintage 1980
 
 Is there something magic in the ageing or is it the quality of the bottlings of Signatory? This Cask Strength Bladnoch is really fantastic. All the sweetness of a Lowland associated to the power of a cask strength. At the first nosing, this bottle appears to be of a wonderful quality. The nose detects all the characteristic hints of malts from this area: cut grass etc.. and despite the high percentage of alcohol, the mouth is not hurt at all by alcohol burnings. A very long and pleasant finish. An excellent bottling, but not really cheap... One has to pay for quality....
84/100
The nose, revealing hints of ripe fruits on a background of cut grass, is very complex and rich in aromas. In the palate, the malt mixed to chocolate ant woody notes go on with a kind of aromatic firework one would like to have more often. A long and pleasant finish, going on on malt with an extraordinary depth.
88/100
The nose is really expressive, with nice fruity hints, somewhere between the green apple and the tangerine, on a bed of fresh cut grass. Nice complexity! In the palate, a slightly dominating woody touch, besides the fruity character, some chocolate, and a very nice smoothness. The whole is rather sweet despite the alcohol percentage. The finish is from the same nature of the palate, very complex with a pleasant woody dominance. A great bottle.
88/100
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Bladnoch

1990

Collection
Celebration of the Cask
Age
21 years
Alcohol percentage
60,6 %
Bottler
Cŕrn Mňr (The Scottish Liqueur Centre)
Cask
Bourbon barrel
Cask number
single cask 30005
Dates
Distil: 26-01-1990 Bottling: 17-10-2011
Bottle
159 of 194 btls
Particularity
Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
0/100
Bladnoch Carn Mor 1990
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Bladnoch: samples

Bladnoch

John McDougall selection 1990

Collection
John McDougall Selection
Age
17 years
Alcohol percentage
54,2 %
Bottler
John McDougall
Bottle
0 of 0 btls
Particularity
Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
79/100
A very fresh nose, mixing smells of cut grass, hay and mint. A kind of duff smell seems to hang over this whisky, which enhances the nosing pleasure.
The mouth is first very close to pear alcohol and it develops later on some more bitter notes, without however considerably enhance the taste palette. The nose was really promising but the mouth is a bit disappointing.
The finish is warm and relatively long and fruity hints remain discretely present.Not this spectacular finish some Bladnoch bottles offer us...
79/100
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Bladnoch

Cadenhead's CS 1989

Collection
Authentic Collection
Age
18 years
Alcohol percentage
47,8 %
Bottler
Cadenhead
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
84/100
The first nose is clearly marked by cut grass but is quickly covered by wax notes and hints of yeast. It seems to lose parts of its original freshness after a few minutes in the glass. he general impression remains good however, with even a touch of smoke on the background.
The mouth is dry and reveals first some pear alcohol aspects before developing on bitterer notes. Nice fruity taste, it's just a shame this impression of dryness goes on...
The finish is long and very pleasant.
84/100
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Bladnoch not in collection

Bladnoch

1992, 16 years Boubon Casks, Ace'd in Amarone casks

Age
16 years
Alcohol percentage
44,6 %
Bottler
Murray McDavid
Cask
Bourbon
links & average quote
79/100
Bladnoch MMC

Comment by

Johannes Sauer

Colour: You coud say rosé wine, but since it is no wine, you also could say copper. For sure it is redder than any whisky I seen before.
Nose: Very very fruity. A very pleasant fruit salad made of strawberries, green apples, pineapples, sultanas and cantaloupe with a dash of lemon, properly mingeled and coated with brown sugar and a little caramel syrup. Also added for taste there might be some drops of white cuban rum and Maraschino liqueur.
Taste: Less fruity than the nose suggests. There are still the fruits but added are now oats, baking yeast (pizza dough) and traces of sea salt and even hints of spicy pepper and cocoa powder. This is no more fruitsalad but a very nice and pleasant, but perhaps a little too unbalanced whisky.
Finish: Full and warming and not very long. The very last impression appearing now is a nice dry wooden note I did not notice until now.
Conc.: A very fine and pleasant whisky, but for a Bladnoch my expectations might have been too high. In a blind tasting I was convinced to have a Buichladdich in my glass, and that’s what the whisky tastes like. For me it tastes like a pretty young Laddie (like Rocks), but not like an older Bladnoch.
Tasting date: 10/8/2009

79/100
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Bladnoch

17 years

Collection
Authentic Collection
Age
17 years
Alcohol percentage
55,1 %
Bottler
Cadenhead
Dates
Distil: 1992 Bottling: 06-2009
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
75/100
Bladnoch cadenhead 17

Comment by

Johannes Sauer

Colour: Bright straw. Oily and tearful. Non coloured.
Nose: A typical Lowlander from the very beginning: Delicate floral - Fresh herbs, Waldmeister and freshly mowed grass. Grean meadow after a summer rain. Also lots of sweet dried fruits like sultanas and dates. Honey made from citrus blossoms (if there is something like that and this honey tastes a little lemony that is -if you like country music sing Orange Blossom Special...).Little soap maybe but very fine, not at all disturbing.
Taste: Very soft and much more honey combined with herbs and blossoms. Later buttered shortbread with coffee. White Toblerone (the swiss chocolate with honey and almonds, the white one) Nice but there is not much complexity indeed. This a little flat impression increases even when water is added.
Finish: Sweet, full and rather long, more coffee (with milk) and butter tablet.
Conc.: Sweet, full and pleasant, but few of what I call complexity. For a Bladnoch I think it’s a little disappointing (too lowlandish and not enough “Old Style” like the new ones I love so much...).

Tasting date: 7/06/2010
Price in Germany (2009): 59 Euro

75/100

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Bladnoch

Straight from the Cask 1990

Collection
Straight from the Cask
Age
14 years
Alcohol percentage
51,7 %
Bottler
Signatory
Cask
Bourbon
links & average quote
77/100
Bladnoch Straigth from the cask
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Bladnoch

1990-2004

Age
14 years
Alcohol percentage
43 %
Bottler
Signatory
links & average quote
87/100
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Bladnoch

Bourbon Barrel 1989-2001

Age
13 years
Alcohol percentage
56,3 %
Bottler
Cadenhead
Cask
bourbon barrel
Dates
Distil: 1989 Bottling: 2001
links & average quote
BT2010 85/100
See: BT2010
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Bladnoch

1980

Age
18 years
Alcohol percentage
46 %
Bottler
Kingsbury
Cask number
3429
Dates
Distil: 1980 Bottling: 1998
links & average quote
BT2005 0/100
see: BT2005
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