Bladnoch 11 Year (2021 Release)

Nose: Freshly cut grass, damp hay, asparagus, citrusy herb, grapefruit, tropical fruit, mustard, and newly sawn pine. After resting in a covered glass, it yields honeysuckle and pear notes. Adding water mellows the nose, producing a sweeter aroma. Palate: The initial taste is rich in herbal/vegetable flavors with a mild, bitter spiciness, presenting a distinctive character. It develops notes of tropical fruit, white grape juice, dandelion root, cardboard, and oatmeal. The texture is pleasing, slightly oily with good body. Finish: Of moderate length. Starts with sharp citrus, then fades into a grassy dryness. A splash of water softens the palate and finish; I found the spirit significantly improved with dilution. This spirit has an uncommon profile, herbaceous in a broad sense, yet that term falls short of fully describing it. It's not herbal like most other spirits so described; perhaps "gentle green plant-like" is a more fitting, albeit awkward, description. On the nose, I detect sharp, citrusy, and spicy herbal notes like lemongrass and mustard, but the palate is where it truly becomes unique. I tasted rocket (also known as arugula), mustard cress, dill weed, yellow dock, and purslane – all potent, sharp-tasting green plants. There was also a hint of sulfurous boiled vegetables like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus. These peculiar vegetal notes are contrasted by the spirit's citrus elements, all set against a backdrop of very fresh-smelling wood with a resinous quality. I observed a significant shift as the fill level decreased. The spirit softened with oxidation, developed more honey notes on both the nose and palate, and its brighter vegetative qualities diminished. It's an intriguing spirit, but as you've likely gathered, highly distinctive and I believe it would either be loved or hated depending on the aroma and flavor associations it evokes. It is certainly engaging and prompted me to revisit it for repeated nosing and tastes to try and decipher it, but it wasn't until it had been open for several weeks and the level dropped below halfway that I started to truly appreciate it. Initially, I would have scored it 80/100 at best, but with time, it earned a higher rating. "Good": 83/100 (3.5 stars)

The aroma presents notes of vibrant caramel, dried grass, toasted nuts, and a hint of cardboard. It also carries a cherry confection scent, with the candy aspect being quite prominent. It drinks a little warm. The influence of the bourbon barrels is very apparent. The palate features cherry, classic candy, and nut paste flavors, leading to abundant barrel-derived spice and a palate-drying grassy quality. It becomes more puckering as you continue to drink, though it's not truly bitter. This is the scotch that most resembles bourbon in my experience.

It makes the person pucker less. The aroma is like peach cobbler topped with sugar crystals. The palate is fuller and richer, featuring brown butter, cinnamon, and allspice. It's quite sweet but also has a welcome earthy character. This is an unusual, strong whisky with a pleasant, lasting spicy finish.

Aroma: refined sweetness, honey, rich chocolate, raisins, and caramel. Taste: syrupy, sweet raisins, with a hint of pepper. Finish: moderate length, sweetness, raisins.

The aroma is quite sharp and unbalanced. However, the taste is instantly mellow, with a mouth-coating almond paste character. Hints of vanilla cookies and lemon zest appear.

Soft and sweetish.