Bladnoch releases oldest whisky to date

Lowland distillery Bladnoch has released a 30-year-old single malt whisky aged in oloroso Sherry and Moscatel casks.

The whisky is the oldest expression the distillery has released to date, and has a limited run of 950 bottles.

David Prior, who purchased the distillery in 2015, said: “It is an immense privilege to release this 30-year-old single malt, produced from Bladnoch’s heritage whisky and matured in these stunning rare casks. This continues an exciting chapter in Bladnoch’s rich whisky-making history as we continue to develop our portfolio.”

Following Prior’s acquisition, the brand embarked on a new chapter in the history of what is the oldest privately owned Scotch whisky distillery, and the first to be owned by an Australian.

The distillery had previously sat dormant for six years.

Master distiller Dr Nick Savage, who joined Bladnoch from The Macallan in 2019, remarked: “Our 30-year-old was designed to showcase the pinnacle of our range with the unique combination of oloroso and Moscatel casks. This unique cask combination, rarity and character will inspire our future whisky making for many years.”

The whisky is said to present floral notes with dried apricots and nutmeg. On the palate it offers rich almond and marzipan flavours along with Seville oranges, with a ‘surprisingly light’ and fruity finish, and a hint of cracked black pepper.

The liquid is non-chill-filtered and bottled at 45.5% ABV.

The 700ml bottles are available to purchase via Bladnoch’s website and in the distillery’s visitor centre for an RRP £1,000 (US$1,220). Sales are limited to one bottle per person.

The whisky will be sold around the world through Bladnoch’s network of distributors in the coming months.

The distillery secured a £10 million (US$13.8m) loan to expand into new markets across the world last year.

In April, Bladnoch was honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for excellence in international trade.