Bladnoch 19 Year Old 2021 Release

This 19 year old official release of Bladnoch was put together by Master Distiller Dr Nick Savage, who quit his job at Macallan four years ago to put this Lowland distillery back on the map. The malt matured for almost two decades and did so in PX sherry casks.

Oh, this is a nice nose. Apricots, raisins, Christmas cake and farmer's butter. Yes, it even smells greasy. Behind that are some notes of marzipan, vanilla, hazelnuts, nougat and menthol. A hint of baby breath... but completely within limits and then it is an enrichment. I also smell a horse stable in the distance. Fried banana kicks in. There's a lot going on here and I like it.

The body is a bit on the light side, but the taste is good. Less sweet than the nose promised. This is where the rather bitter notes come to the fore. Think walnuts, chestnuts and bitter oranges. Hazelnuts return. But the raisins and apricots have trouble showing themselves. It even becomes very dry and spicy midpalate.

The medium long finish, which starts warm and spicy, evolves from sweet to sour to even a touch salty.

Although this malt largely restores my confidence in Bladnoch, it is still a bit too bitter to completely charm. About 150 EUR.

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