Bladnoch Embers Cask

Nose: Pears, orange water, soft grassy hay, mild sweet peat smoke, a little vanilla, evolving sweet malt extract. Trace hints of farmyards and a mineralic tinge. A very good nose. Palate: Sweet arrival with tropical and dried stone fruits (apricots, pears), lemon and a little hint of mixed spice. Digestive biscuits and hard toffee emerge in the development and a sweet, soft, creamy peat foundation builds with every sip. The texture is rich and slightly oily. Finish: Medium/long. The sweet fruits dwindle into a smoked malt-and-mocha aftertaste. This is the best Bladnoch I’ve tasted to date, not the least because it bears a similarity to Hazelburn 10 (which I have been unable to find for literally years). The nose treads that fine line between elegance and roughness and is, quite simply, delightful. The palate is equally impressive with its combination of ever increasing peat smoke, malt and fruits. This was an exclusive bottling from The Whisky Club in Australia. I have not investigated these guys before but now I’m intrigued. If it is at all possible to obtain a bottle I’ll do so. Tasted from a 30ml sample kindly sent to me by @DrRHCMadden “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Very spicy and peppery. Probably too much.

N: creme brûlée, syrupy, a little oak? The longer I sit with this the more tropical it becomes, verging on bananas. A little water opens up everything and let’s the individual aromas through more clearly. P: apricots, caramel, biscuity (malty) toffee, soft smoky note. Velvety texture also. Water mutes a little maybe(?) by bringing the toffees to the front. F: moderate-long with a little prickle. Juicy with creamy richness and tropical brightness. Water dulls the prickle nicely and the creamy mouthfeel turns to milk chocolate. Purchased as a monthly exclusive release from the whisky club Australia following a lot of build up and hype. Tasty, yes. Good on a cold evening, absolutely. “As close as you can get to drinking a campfire marshmallow”, errrr not so much. Certainly tasty, and lots of colourful vibrancy. I can’t help but feel that I’d rather drink a Port Charlotte 10 for warmth and vibrancy of flavour or a Woodford Double Wood for decadent richness. Maybe this is the in between I didn’t know I needed? Distiller whisky taste #26