Whisky : Bladnoch 21 Year; The Exclusive Malts

Country/Region : Scotland/Lowland

ABV : 48.1%

Age : 21 Years (Distilled Aug. 12, 1992, Bottled Jan. 2014)

Cask : Refill American Oak Hogshead

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Home

Nose : Opens with delicate honeycomb and garden flowers.  The aroma is light and delicate, almost refreshing in nature.  There are creamy fruits— orange cream soda, tangerine macarons, and just a hint of floral spices such as coriander and cardamon.  Loads of sweet honey and vanilla carry through the nose.

Palate : Light and sweet with the mild dryness of a white wine.  White grape skins, dried flowers, and a faint minerality give some complexity to the generally delicate sweetness that dominates the palate.  There are bits of earthiness that vary between a spring garden patch when the plants are just sprouting to rose water and faint Turkish delight.  The palate benefits greatly from the addition of a few drops of water despite the already low abv., the water helps bring forward the fruit and floral notes.

Finish : Medium length mild floral and earth sweet notes— bits of dried grass, pepper, and lemon.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Sun tea and a summer’s day spent in the yard clearing out the flower bed.

Notes : I would tell you this is the best Lowland I have ever had, but that might be a bit meaningless considering the objectively minute number of Lowland malts I have tried.  The only slightly memorable Lowlands drams I have had were the Auchentoshan Blood Oak, Spring Oak, and Heartwood.  While those were all fine and certainly better than the normal core Auchentoshan’s, they were not particularly inspiring.

I cannot say this Bladnoch was really inspiring either— but it did get better from first dram to second to third.  My notes became far more positive in each subsequent tasting session.  Some time resting in the bottle, remembering to add a bit of water, and perhaps the nature of the day’s weather all changed the experience just a bit and allowed additional complexity to come through in the glass.  The flavors remain delicate and light, the body has just enough there that it is not entirely like drinking water, but all and all this is not a bottle I am likely to reach for with any regularity.  It makes for a great palate cleaner though, something to bring the gap between maltier or heavier flavor profile in a tasting.

This bottle was part of a bottle share we did with other Exclusive Malts offerings.  While it was not my number one in its series, other tasters absolutely loved the fruity profile that develops in the glass with a bit of time and a few drops of water.  A solid pickup for anyone looking to experience a mature Lowland malt or a fan of delicate floral and fruity notes.