A pair of highly contrasting Bladnoch


April 15, 2024

WF's little Duos, today a pair of highly contrasting Bladnochs

Reid

Jamie Reid 'I'm lovin' it / I'm hatin' it' (Arthound Gallery)

This is clearly not an 'official versus independent' session as the official offering we have is merely a rather modest NAS at 40% ABV, while our independent today is a mature 34-year-old. In essence, it's probably a tadpole against a tiger, at least that's what we're expecting...

Bladnoch 'Kirkcowan' (40%, OB, American oak, 2023)

The price is very appealing. In any case, the label is quite humorous; it looks like it was designed in 1976 by Jamie Reid, whom we've met a long time ago (may he rest in peace). Colour: gold. Nose: it's pleasant but not sensational. Hay, vanilla, brioche, hints of sourdough, porridge... What's missing, compared to the Bladnochs from twenty or thirty years ago, are the citrus notes. Where have the citrus notes gone? Palate: it's soft, kind, but not disarming or bland, with notes of tea, custard, touches of fruit brandy (a sign of youth)... But this doesn't last very long, as the hay quickly takes control. Cardboard. Finish: fairly short, with tea and a bit of cinnamon. Plums and tea in the aftertaste. Comments: it's nice, but if you taste the old NAS with the white label/40% ABV from thirty years ago alongside it, you'll tell yourself there's still a long way to go. The thing that is historically necessary are the citrus notes!
SGP:451 - 80 points.

Update: our friends at Dram Mor told us that "Kirkcowan has a much broader cut than standard Bladnoch (slightly different recipe). (...) Kirkcowan is made for a longer run, longer maturation, so it's a different creature from modern Bladnoch."

Bladnoch 34 yo 1990/2024 (55.1%, Whisky Sponge, refill barrel, 194 bottles)

I take my hat off to the young independent bottler, no matter how shrewd, for unearthing a Bladnoch that's thirty-four years old. Are you aware of the historical significance here? Bladnoch was closed, alongside Rosebank, by United Distillers in 1993. This whisky is likely one of the last vestiges of the great Lowlands of yesteryear, Rosebank-St-Magdalene-Bladnoch. Even though Bladnoch was restarted by the Armstrong family in the year 2000, with a style that seemed quite different to us. Colour: full gold. Nose: prominent custard cream and citron liqueur, followed by chalk, Sancerre, honeysuckle, and limestone. With water: oh lovely, virgin wool and fresh bread dough, then candied fruit, particularly citrus. Palate (neat): very lemony with other exotic fruits that are quite tight and even acidic, like passion fruit. With water: bread and lemon. Corsican lemon biscuits are very good, but not worth a special journey… Better to go there for the wines and the sea cicadas. Canarelli! The locals, on the other hand, can be a bit rough around the edges… (that's it, I'm dead). Finish: perfect, long, lemony, with a honeyed aftertaste. Comments: Corsican limoncello with honey from the maquis, homemade. To be enjoyed with barbecued sea cicadas indeed... But do they have that in Scotland?
SGP:651 - 91 points.

Check the index of all Bladnoch we've tasted so far