Bladnoch Talia 26

Number 6 in the countdown to 300 and we present the age forward by another year tonight. I’m surprised to see that this wasn’t already listed here on Distiller. I have seen this on the shelves of my mega liquor store for many years now and have, like the Glenfarclas 25 last night, thought this seems an accessibly priced older whisky. Apparently though, I will be the first to sample its possible delights here on Distiller. Hooray? What do we have then? It seems that Bladnoch release different Talias at around 25 years of age. This expression, released in 2020 at 44% ABV was aged exclusively in American oak red wine casks whereas the other expressions of Talia have showcased cask finishes. For what it’s worth this was apparently the first Bladnoch release from Master Distiller, Nick Savage. As with all Bladnoch Single Malts, this release is non-chill filtered and natural colour. N: Wow, thats a lot of wood. I’ll be back in five to ten minutes… thats better. Old oak is the obvious place to start and it’s dark, rich, slightly waxy and surprisingly creamy. Despite a lot of age in the tannins there still manages to be delicacy with twinkles of florals. The body that emerges with time is pretty juicy plenty of jammy berry laden red wine (raspberry, strawberry, cranberry). Some toasty malt, and maybe cocoa. P: Heavily tannic, and becoming waxy. The tannins of both red wine and oak are on the cusp of being to astringent. Quite a linear palate driven by furniture polish, aniseed, bitter dark orange marmalade, honey and milk chocolate. The real powerhouse though, surprisingly, is a floral smack that builds over time. If a spring orchard in full blossom could be distilled into a single drop that is the floral presence that is found here. The florals have a lovely delicacy to them but it is slightly reminiscent of a single snowflake in an avalanche. They are collectively huge; orange blossom, rose, nutmeg. F: Long. Very drying, waxy furniture, leather, dry tobacco box and wood shavings. More florals, and some tight warmth from ginger and chilli. I don’t know. I just don’t know what to make of this. This whisky is big, its bold, and its either bad, or brilliant. I don’t know which. The turmoil I am having is with the massive juxtaposition of heavy oak, and deep dark woody oak notes and feinty leather meld with impossible levels of florals and perfume? I have grown to seek out florals in recent times on both the nose and palate, but this seems to heavy on them? i suspect the red wine barrels held Muscat; how else do you pack so many into a malt? I realise I am completely forgetting about the berry laden elements that are in here also, I think because they are forgettable. Flashes of malt character, lovely, great. But then leather and florals. Ah, conflict. I really don’t know about this, but I’m going to err on the side of excellent. Distiller whisky taste #295 [Pictured here with a lovely smargadite metagabbro from Lago Superiore in NW Italy. This rock is super complex and is related to an ophiolite, a section of oceanic crust thrust onto the continental crust. Bands of predominantly white plagioclase and dark clinozoisite and omphacite. In reality it is far more complex though. The distinctive trait though is the bright green smargadite, a type of amphibole replacing coarse ompachite. Ultimately, a pretty rock produced by complex chemistry under immense pressures for huge expanses of time; not too dissimilar from whisky I suppose.] Bladnoch running scores: Embers: 3.75/5 Vinaya: 3/5 Samsara:3.75/5 Talia 26: 4.25/5