Whisky : Bladnoch 21 Year; Gordon & MacPhail “Connoisseurs Choice”

Country/Region : Lowland

ABV : 46%

Cask : Refill American Oak Hogshead

Age : 21 Year (1993-2014)

Nose :  Floral garden center: fresh flowers, potting soil, and a hint of wallpaper paste.  Lovely fruity notes develop— pears, melons, and ripening stone-fruits.  The aroma is mild and easy going with sweet honeyed chamomile tea and orange blossom.  Really nice complexity on the nose as different floral notes return along with an apple fritter, a bear claw, and a bit of vanilla cream.

Palate : As light and delicate as you might expect a Bladnoch or a whisky bottled at 46% to be.  The dram is just a bit oily and presents pleasant notes of shortbread cookies, melons, and sweet ginger.  A bit of dryness develops overtime as some citrus notes start feeling a bit less like lemon zest and more like lemon pith.  

Finish : Medium length, sweet clover honey sits on the tongue.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Teatime at Home Depot.

Something Better : Glenlossie 8 Year SMWS 46.75 (similar shortbread & cream, more spice, more body)

Something Similar : Bladnoch 21 Year; The Exclusive Malts (very similar fruit and pastry notes)

Something Worse : Glen Elgin 10 Year SMWS 85.49 (similar lemon/melon, more astringent)

Notes :  Bladnoch was very nearly a ghost distillery.  Mothballed in 1993, reopened in 2000, it was placed in voluntary liquidation by one of the owning partners in 2014.  It survived these tumultuous moments and remains one of the few Lowland distilleries producing single malts. Much like their Lowland compatriots at Auchentoshan, they typically produce scotch with a light refreshing body and subtle fruity notes.  However, unlike Auchentoshan, they have not released a lot of official distillery expressions in United States, so the distillery remains relatively unknown.

Considering the last 21 Year Bladnoch I had was bottled at a cask strength of 48.1%, I wonder how much adjusting G&M had to do to get the whisky to 46% from natural cask strength.  I reckon probably not too much.  This dram has a lovely complexity on the nose, while the palate has just enough intensity to really leave a pleasant impression.  While I would drop this dram in the light and refreshing category, it packs enough of a flavor shove (definitely not a punch) to be interesting.  It is the perfect easy drinker at the end of a long day when you want something to mindlessly sip on and enjoy and a great introductory single malt for anyone looking to explore.