The second SMWS Bladnoch of this year and another well-aged example. 28 years in a 2nd fill bourbon barrel. Old & dignified profile.
Nose: A complex integration of stone fruits (apricots and peaches) and earthiness (bracken and moss) with oaty cereals, underripe bananas, gooseberries and white wine. There’s a prevalent oiliness that runs throughout – sunflower and olive oils. Water adds some more typical lowland aromas – cut grasses and hay along with biscuits and peppermint.
Taste: The complexity continues with Turkish Delight, lavender, grasses and reeds sitting with poached pears, red berries and coconut oil. The mid-palate is more creamy with both milk chocolate and well buttered digestive biscuits. This fades into a spicier back-palate that delivers ginger and a touch of menthol. Dilution adds a wonderful sense of juiciness –plenty of tinned fruits.
Finish: Long, and surprisingly waxy (at this stage) with green apples, mangos and wet lawn.
Straight out of the glass, this Bladnoch is firing on all cylinders – with just a touch of water, it's elevated even further. Excellent pronounced fruitiness, alongside elegant and well-integrated butteriness and spice. My pick of the month.
Score: 89/100