Bladnoch The Wave I: Time & Maturation is the first expression in The Wave: a five-part limited-edition series. Due to be released annually, this series showcases the five pillars of whisky making from Bladnoch Distillery.
The Wave is the second series in the Master Distiller’s Collection from the Scottish Lowlands distillery. It follows their Waterfall series. Named Time & Maturation, this release aims to showcase Bladnoch’s skill at selecting casks at the peak time of the maturation for optimal flavour.
For this first release, a 1,500 litre Amontillado Sherry tun was filled with carefully selected Bladnoch whiskies originally matured in ex-Bourbon casks. Tipped to tun in 2022 and bottled in 2024. Only 1817 bottles are being released, and bottled at 53.8% ABV.
Bladnoch was founded in 1817 by brothers John and Thomas McClelland. It is the oldest Lowland distillery that remains in production, beating Auchentoshan (founded in 1823) and Glenkinchie (1837). It is also Scotland’s oldest privately-owned Scotch whisky distillery. The distillery is in a remote spot of Dumfries & Galloway, close to the village of Wigtown. This is further south than parts of northern England, including the city of Newcastle.
The name is derived from the ancient Gaelic place name of Blaidzenoch. The nearby River Bladnoch supplies the water for whisky production. The current owner is David Prior, who saved the distillery from liquidation in 2015. He funded a complete renovation with production recommencing in 2017. The current capacity is 1.5 million litres per year.
Our taste-first philosophy is at the heart of everything we do at Bladnoch. We’re proud of our signature grassy, floral spirit, which is typical of the Lowlands. However, we also use our taste-first approach to take educated risks and provide a range of whisky experiences, rather than being constrained by traditional whisky conventions.
Nick Savage – Master Distiller at Bladnoch Distillery
Dram Back
As part of a tasting initiative, and for the first time, this whisky is being made available in a 50ml dram sample pouch. Priced at £15 each, which includes postage and packaging in the UK or as part of an international order. Each dram comes with a unique Dram Back offer code, found on the tag. This allows you to claim back that £15 when you place an order for a full-sized 70cl bottle. The full-size bottles are available from www.bladnoch.com for £150 each. More whiskies in the Bladnoch range will be added to this scheme in the near future.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is a vibrant gold, and the nose has an abundance of vanilla, sultana and strawberry jam. There are also aromas of brown sugar, creamed coconut and white chocolate. They are backed up by hints of green jelly babies and pink marshmallow with warming oak spice and green herbals sitting in the background.
On the palate this whisky feels bold and expressive. It is initially sweet before becoming woody and drier. Plump and sugary sultana with sweet vanilla custard – think of good crème anglaise from a patisserie – and creamy coconut lead the way. Then comes some soft baked apple drizzled with golden syrup and toffee sauce. A hint of orange oil and zingy lemon zest sit in the background.
Some milk chocolate and candied lime, plus a hint of that strawberry jam and pink marshmallow from the nose also develop nicely. Then it turns much more savoury, drying and woody. The oaky note dominates and is joined by a selection of baking spices – imagine powdered cinnamon, clove and a hint of ginger. A touch of menthol accentuates this.
The finish is of decent length and becomes increasingly woody, spicy and dry with time. This carries over from the back end of the palate. The sweet, confected and fruity elements fade rapidly with a final dash of icing sugar and candied lime appearing at the last. A herbal note appears also to compliment to drying and warming sensation.
What’s The Verdict?
This is a whisky of two halves – sweet and savoury – most likely in thanks to the Amontillado Sherry tun. Despite time in the tun technically not considered as maturation (but rather marrying) it seems to have made a notable impact. The lovely and slightly confected sweetness matches up against the woody and spicy savoury characteristics. We are incredibly pleased that Bladnoch has created a method to trial whiskies of this calibre via Dram Back. It is a great way to ensure that these rare limited edition whiskies are drunk and enjoyed, and not just kept sealed for prosperity sakes.
