There aren’t many lowland distilleries that remain operational, and apart from the Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie, I don’t know many other lowland single malts. The legendary Rosebank and St. Magdalene are unfortunately not coming back any time soon, but this Bladnoch appears to have survived the turmoil. Established in 1817, Bladnoch is the southernmost distillery in Scotland, and it has changed its owners many times, with the most recent production restart in 2017. In 2019 the distillery was joined by Nick Savage who was a master distiller for William Grant & Sons (Glenfiddich, Balvenie, etc) and Macallan, and his experience would be instrumental in bringing this malt to recognition. The color of this dram is pale straw, kind of what you would expect from the 10-year-old whisky matured in bourbon casks. But neither the box, nor the bottle says anything about natural color. Viscosity is high, typical for the higher ABV drams, and this one is presented at a very respectful 46.7%. It’s non-chill-filtered, which is always a good sign of malt aimed at enthusiasts rather than an average consumer. The nose is floral, with a touch of sulphur or rubber (like the new tire smell). It’s not off-putting, but is definitely there. Some spicy notes, with black pepper dominating, complimented with faint vanilla. The palate is delicate, with notes of honey, clove, caramel, and more pepper. Finish is medium length, somewhat bitter with vanilla and oak notes, and ending with a touch of citrus. So far nothing dramatic, but a well-balanced dram. Water opens it up, and the character becomes more floral. I first added just a few drops, but then ended up adding half a teaspoon. I think it benefits from water quite a bit. By the way, I do see the mist, which means it’s honestly non-filtered. The finish weirdly gains some sunflower seed notes, and the sulphur note has now almost completely disappeared. The palate gains some raisins, banana, and hay notes and becomes more complex and sweet. Finish loses the bitterness and becomes long and very pleasant. Overall, this is a solid dram. Well-built and presented, but requires water to get the most out of it. It’s still not extraordinary complex, but this being a lowland malt, I think it has the typical character, and is very enjoyable for the $50 I paid for it.