Bladnoch Vinaya

Review #013 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 46.7% Comments: NAS, ex-sherry and ex-bourbon Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Chestnut color. Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 16/20 Apples, honey, buttered bread, and vanilla. Palate: 33/40 Black pepper hits hard up front on the first sip, a little less on the second. By the the third sip it’s creamier, I can notice a really nice mouthfeel, and I’m tasting vanilla, figs, clove spice, and dark chocolate. Finish: 32/40 Nice long finish, a bit of an ethanol burn kicks things off, then it gets a bit sweeter and crisper with peaches and pears, which slowly fades away to some salt in the ending. With Water: A drop of water adds some chili pepper spiciness to the finish. Total: 81/100 Final thoughts: Purchased to expand my understanding of Bladnoch expressions, not especially remarkable but a great value and good buy all the same. Price: $50 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

An absolutely surprising, complex whisky from this lowland distillery. This whisky gave me an unexpected experience and i even tasted it next to the new Dalmore 12 Sherry Cask Select, and this one was actually better. Bottled at 46.7%abv, burnished gold color. On the nose, this has a lot of very clean aroma notes. Chocolate, butter, vanilla, banana, coconut and piña colada cocktail. Banana split ice cream, toffee, lovely aroma. Rum and raisins ice cream. After a first sip, the aroma changed into coffee with milk, pancakes, banana smoothie, soap and oat. It is very lactic / milky. On the palate, it starts with a pleasant pepper bomb, chilli, red fruits and clove. There are prunes and spices everywhere. Aftertaste is very long and well delivered. Red chilli, sulphuric notes. It is creamy and greasy. Salty pickles. Very pleasant but spicy. Overall, i find this dram super complex and even if has the normal chocolate profile you expect from a lowland whisky, this single malt manages to explore a lot of good spices and some fruitiness. A wonderful experience, my score for it is 89/100.

N: Malty cereals are delivered with young green apple and straw notes. P: Stewed pear is a weak entry with some creamy chocolate and bitter chocolate in equal measure. There are some oaky spices and perfumes, but everything is short and a little bland. F: Medium. Pepper, cinnamon, and bitterness of cocoa powder. Mostly though, this is just all about heat. Nose and pallate are very similar to many other lowland malts. And thats not a fault, but it does make this offering unremarkable. This is clearly intended as an entry level whisky to showcase lowland whisky. Its well made. Clean. Crisp. Tasty. But its entirely unremarkable and lacks any standout character or flavours of interest. I expected more to be honest. This is simply put: fine. Distiller whisky taste #77

Nose: Honey drizzled shortbread cookies, Ripe orchard fruits, like apples and pears, along with a little bit of heather, and hints of barrel spices. Palate: Initially, sweet, rich, creamy, and lots of vanilla. In the same realm as a creme brûlée. The orchard fruits return on the mid to back palate. Holding the sip in your mouth a few extra seconds allows the warm barrel spices to grow, giving the sip an additional layer. Finish: Medium in length with shortbread cookie and warm barrel spices. Summary: Scottish distilleries continue to show why age statements don't matter as much as you think they do. While this is probably on the younger side, the age isn't missed due to the pour being so well executed. Highly recommended.

A dark dried fruit nose overlayed with high notes of sherry. Flavors include baking spices, toasted oak cask, vanilla, and water cracker. The sherry points things towards the sweeter end of the spectrum, but as with the majority of Lowland Scotches, it is not overwhelming.

Creamy, vanilla-dry wood with some floral and fruitful richness. Longish tapered mildly spicy finish. Nicely balanced. For $50 this is great, do recommend. Makes one want to see what else Bladnoch has to offer.