Bladnoch 10 year old 55%
Sherry Butt No 88/ Dist: May 2001 Btl: Nov 2011/ Tasted: Jan 2012
Initially the nose is a touch high toned and very citrusy. Seriously fruity with apricot and banana notes apparent. The sherry cask aromas are very subtle adding earthy, nutty notes along with a huge degree of vanillins/ marzipan (American sherry cask?). It’s a very perplexing nose. I have never come across so much overt ‘oakiness’ from a sherry cask before. Wonderfully fragrant however with a delightful softness and sweetness.
The palate is full with a more expected sherry character – nutty, dried fruit. Although the cask is relatively subtle it still prvides the majority of the flavours – pure sun-dried raisins, nutmeg, gingery spices and a touch of almond. This has an amazing complexity and is showing maturity beyond its years as it moves into an Armagnac-esque direction. Lovely length with the spirit adding a touch of citrus at the finish.
With water the sherry character becomes a shade more leafy and a touch sweeter with hints of demeara sugar. A simply stunning sherry cask
Bladnoch 19 year old 55%
Sherry Butt 2618/ Dist: Jul 1992 Btl: Nov 2011/ Tasted: Jan 2012
A lovely, mature, chocolatey, refill-sherry nose. The sherry is subtler than the 18 year old and allows the slightly high toned, mature grassy spirit to come through. For its age it has a lovely fresh intensity and with time a touch of perfumed white flowers, orange, earth and cream emerges. Beautifully balanced with some late nutty notes.
The palate is a tad dry and slightly woody to begin with showing coffee and chocolate coated nuts, but the slightly sugar coated orange fruit balances. Piquant alcohol leads into a spicy, slightly perfumed white fruit, brown sugar and light malt finish.
With water it becomes mellower and less intense but the orange fruit on the nose has become emphasised and exceedingly luscious and it really emphasises the spiciness of the finish.
Bladnoch 20 year old 51.4%
Bourbon Hogshead 5739/ Dist: Dec 1990/ Tasted: Jan 2012
A lovely venerable nose of mature honey and dried grass with hints of coffee, liquorice and toasted caramel. Still there is a hint of honeyed-citrus and hints of perfumed white fruit to give the nose some lift and freshness.
The palate opens with some earthy, dried grass, mature coffee, and more loamy, earthy notes. Delicate toffee-spices weave in along with a touch of barley and more dried grass. Beneath is some delicately sweet, malty spirit resulting in a brief citrus flourish before the dried grass notes return.
A drop of water opens the nose to display some beautifully fragrant, perfumed lilly and musky rose and has endowed the nose with a beguiling sumptuous character. The palate one could argue has become a tad watery, but it has allowed a touch of white fruit and oily, old rose petal/ Turkish delight to emerge. All that aside it is still a beautifully mature dram.
