Review #363 - Bladnoch 10 Year Bourbon Expression
'Celebrating 200 Years' - that's the reason for this limited release version of Bladnoch's 10 year old single malt. While the distillery was established back in 1817, it has changed hands numerous times, and there have been several periods of interrupted production. After the most recent change in ownership in 2015, during which the brand was acquired by David Prior, they restarted production in 2017; then, in 2018, they released this 10 year old using some stocks of older distillate acquired along with the distillery.
This is the ex-bourbon cask expression, and the Lowland distillery has bottled it at their typical 46.7% ABV, a hair above the minimum mark of 46% that many enthusiasts look for. In addition to the lack of chill filtration, which is stated on the front label, the website also discloses that this single malt is natural color - no e150a caramel added.
Bladnoch 10 Year Bourbon Expression
Scotland/Lowland - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 55 (2023, at auction)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 66 (2024)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 46.7% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; bottled 2018
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 6 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80% (blind tasting), and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Dense spirit, a bit of weight on the nose, with a mix of dry scents: straw or hay, woody spice, dry white peaches, a mild vegetal funk. Semi-sour malt peeks through at times, before some fruits grow: orchard fruit, like apple or pear, along with a honey drizzle. At times, we found little accent notes like charcoal, slate, or Greek yogurt.
Palate: A medium thickness mouthfeel; pears, apples, and tangy dry stone fruits arrive first, it's a decently juicy-fruity palate. Despite that, it isn't overly sweet - dry flavors like white pepper, herbs, grass, and some nuttiness are plentiful. The oak influence seems starchy or fibrous; later, we get lemon drops and cinnamon applesauce.
Finish: A bit of weight still lingers in the spirit, and the tangy stone fruits continue into the finish. There's some fizz, like pineapple, and the malty grain component grows with time; sour apples, candied pecans, cinnamon, and saccharine tinned pears mingle in the aftertaste.
Final Note: This is an interesting bottle - our tasting sessions were a little bit inconsistent. At times, it showed some very interesting lactic, yogurt, and mineral notes, and there was a nice weight on the spirit; in other sessions, it seems more like a very standard ex-bourbon single malt. It's a good whisky, and value is pretty good if you can get it at a reasonable price, but it didn't necessarily blow us away.
Our Average Rating: 6.6 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.66
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
