Bladnoch 11yo
2021 Official Release | 46.7% ABV
A Welcome Surprise
I am at the point in my whiskey journey where I feel I have a good handle on the majority of single malts that are locally available to me. (My liver may not be proud to make that statement.)
While I have not sampled all of the expressions that are often found on the liquor store shelves here in rural Connecticut, I have sampled the majority of the Scotch single malt brands available. To this point, for example, I have not yet sampled a Glenfarclas 25yo, a Loch Lomond 18yo, or a Highland Park 25yo, but I am familiar with each distillery’s flavor profile from other expressions. That is all well and good — as I will get to those other expressions over time — but what vexes me is that I know there are dozens of brands that simply have not found their way to the liquor store shelves near me.
I watch my share of WhiskyTube and read books as well as articles on Dramface and elsewhere to learn about all things whiskey, understand the history of whiskey distilleries, and get to know new labels and expressions. The usual suspects and long-time distillery brand standard-bearers are all well and good, but for the love of all things holy… what I would give to see Ardnamurchan, a Glasgow 1770, a Glenturret, or a Glen Wyvis here in this seemingly malt-forsaken place! (Yes, Dougie…no Ardnamurchan! Without doubt, Connecticut has now been crossed off Dougie’s list of places to visit…) While I can drive an hour to find better stocked shelves, is that a realistic option?
And yet, when I make a trip to the local liquor stores, there always remains a smidge of hope that among the usual suspects I will find a new and fresh face staring back at me. Admittedly, as of the last six months or so I now find newly stocked sections of Japanese whiskies, but their elevated prices spur me to greet them and move on. As I take my time scouring the shelves and look by/around those usual brands, I often wind up getting a different expression of a label I had already sampled previously.
Recently, I made my way to a local liquor store with a few extra dollars in my pocket and the task of purchasing a bottle. After a few gatherings, we had depleted our stock a bit and now had some glaring vacancies in the whiskey cabinet. With my usual smidge of hope, I started walking down the aisle of single malts. And it was there that I stopped in my tracks: there was a new fresh face.
There, before me, were three different expressions from Bladnoch. I had never seen the Bladnoch label in these parts. The bottles were the Vinaya, the Samsara, and the 11yo. Both non-aged stated bottles sounded encouraging — first-fill bourbon and first-fill sherry casks for the Vinaya and a combination of ex-bourbon casks and ex-wine casks for the Samsara — but I opted to turn away from the multi-casked bottles as I wanted to sample the house style of this new distillery. New to me, that is. So, I took home the 11yo (2021 Release) that was aged simply in ex-bourbon casks.
For me, there is something akin to being a kid at Christmas about bringing home a bottle of whiskey from a heretofore unknown distillery. As I drove home, I seemed to recall that Bladnoch was a distillery — not unlike many others — that spent a significant portion of its lifetime idle and shuttered. I could not recall the “how” or “when” of its resurrection. Also — and this was more important to me — I had no understanding of the distillery’s flavor profile, as not a drop of its whiskey had so far touched my tongue. Yes, the box spoke of flavors that would be elicited from the enclosed bottle…but, really? Despite marketing departments’ best efforts (at Bladnoch and all other distilleries), I refuse to heed or pay attention to the descriptors on boxes, canisters, and bottles, as I rarely – if ever – have a tasting experience that matches the marketers’ conjured-up fluff and hyperbole. (I recently saw a SMWS bottle that spoke of “verdant pickles” – I kid you not!)
Curiosity was nibbling at me when I left the store…and I am now very glad to report what I found when I uncorked this natural-colour, un-chill-filtered 11-year-old Bladnoch.
Review
Bladnoch 11yo, 2021 Release, 46.7% ABV
Paid $63 (£70 in the UK), occasionally available
Nose
Light and inviting on the nose. Floral and a bit herbal. Honey mixed with a waft of newly baked bread. A slight hint of the scent breathed in walking outside after a summer rain.
Palate
A beautiful feel on the tongue. It isn’t overly heavy, but you feel the bit of viscosity covering your mouth. A very slight hint of butterscotch and custard. Rainier cherries. Vanilla. There are layers here! A bit of Honey Nut Cheerios cereal with crystallized ginger candies. Stewed pears. All are light but clearly present. (Funny, I didn’t see these tasting notes on the box…) It all mixes together beautifully well. The finish is good as some toffee notes come forward.
With a drop of water, the fruits come more forward both on the nose and the palate. The viscous feeling ebbs away a bit, and toward the finish the ginger candy and toffee notes are more pronounced, but not harshly so. Still nicely layered, but the harmony feels a bit off as the overlay of vanilla comes forward.
In my opinion, this is better without water, with the more viscous feeling and the more balanced flavors. Taking it neat, all is good in the world.
The Dregs
This Bladnoch is lovely. It is not spectacular. It is not going to knock your socks off. It is simply a pleasant sipper from a great new distillery to come to know.
I realize this distillery was founded in 1817, but I call this a new distillery not simply because it is new to me, but also because it seems appropriate after having gone back to do some research on Bladnoch. Upheavals, shutterings, and changes of ownership became the norm starting near the turn of the 20th century and continuing over the following eight decades.
The distillery looked to be at the end of its lifetime in 1993 when then-owner United Distillers first reduced capacity and then closed and decommissioned the distillery altogether. Plans to bulldoze the site to create holiday cottages were ultimately put aside by a series of new owners, with the most recent change of hands less than ten years ago. Consider the last thirty year stretch: shuttered in 1993, production starting again in 2000, liquidation again in 2014, and ultimately new owners (the present ones) in 2015. Yes, Bladnoch has a lengthy history, but to me, this is a new distillery.
This new distillery, however, remains true to its Lowland pedigree. I have often heard that Lowland whiskies bring a distinct flavor profile that is generally lighter bodied with notes of toffee, grass, honey, citrus, and cereals. This is the only Lowland presently in my whiskey cabinet, and it certainly is unique among my bottles.
I pick whiskeys from my cabinet depending on mood. There are times when I want a peated whiskey. Sometimes, the desire is for sherry influence. Other times, I want something that is heavier or perhaps more barrel-forward. But there are times when I don’t want smoke, or a sherry bomb, or a barrel-forward chew of oak or cask influence. Many times, I just want something that is complex yet simple — something that doesn’t scream but is flavorful and layered, that makes me sip and ponder. Bladnoch is that whiskey, and I am very glad to have found it.
Quite good.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS