Bladnoch Talia 25 Year

Remarkably dark and rich color. The aroma offers a bitter, woody scent, full of dark red fruit notes. It's less intricate than the Bladnoch Adela's aroma, yet more intense. There's a touch of interesting tartness on the nose. The taste is full-bodied, but unfortunately, it presents a strong wet cardboard flavor. While other tastes are wonderful, the cardboard is a real letdown. I would certainly prefer the Adela to this without further tasting. It's incredibly rich and sweet, with delightful dark dried fruit and just the right spice level. It has a very viscous texture. Some nutty, bitter oil notes do help mask the cardboard, though not very effectively. I'm quite confident this has a port finish. The tartness is accompanied by a hint of mint. There are very smooth tannins with a touch of clove (which does align with the cardboard) that coat the tongue. This is surprisingly good for a scotch with a wet cardboard profile. Impressively good, in fact. It's certainly not worth the cost, but it's very pleasing. It's a shame that it's so numbing, no matter the circumstances. The abundance of vanilla and a hint of floral flavor also contribute to the cardboard impression. There's not much smoke, and peat is virtually absent, but there's plenty of richness, fruit, spices, tartness, sweetness, and vanilla. Some herbal and floral elements are present but not overpowering. It's rich and engaging, but lacks the complex layers of the Adela. It also has a wet cardboard taste. This would be close to a 20 if not for the cardboard. With it, it's a bit lower, but because the other flavors complement the cardboard so well, it's surprisingly not ruined.

Beautiful golden color. Why is the aroma fruity and slightly malty? On the palate, it's soft and mild. Fruity but slightly bitter with woody notes. Delicious. The finish is fruity and well-rounded.