Bladnoch 20 yo 1990 
(52,4%, OB 2010, cask #136)

Nose: fragrant and light, with some fresh grass, cut apples and a few floral notes. Some vanilla and honey. After a while, it seems to gets ‘older’ with notes of hay and something like stone dust. Mouth: sweet and nicely punchy, with the same flavours now backed up by spices (pepper, cloves) and oak. Big notes of lemons. Grapefruits. Slightly synthetic in its fruitiness I think, which turns into perfumy / soapy notes, especially when you add some water. Returns to dried grass before getting slightly bitter and herbal. Finish: bittersweet, spicy and a little perfumy. Quite long.

Very sippable and lively. A little mono-dimensional with a slightly disturbing perfumy touch but the price makes up for part of these problems. Around € 55. Sold out but a new 20yo single cask is available. Thanks for the sample swap, Stuart.

Score: 82/100

This 16 year-old is the first Bladnoch to be bottled in the Single Malts of Scotland series by The Whisky Exchange.

Bladnoch 16yo 1992 (46%, Single Malts of Scotland 2009, bourbon hogshead, cask #2694, 375 btl.)

Nose: holds the middle between grassy, floral and fruity (in that order). The freshly cut grass comes first, but after being warmed up there are hints of heather and lavender and quite some fruits (lemon of course, grapefruit but also peaches on syrup). Very subtle vanilla. More complex than you would initially think. Mouth: sweet lemon juice with more grapefruit now. Quite citrusy, gentle and delicately fresh (yet not lightweight). Orange peel with a slightly bitter edge (grapefruit tea). A pinch of white pepper. Finish: medium length, on citrus mostly. Some flower honey as well.

There is a thread about this bottling on the Bladnoch forum. Unfortunately I’m not familiar enough with Bladnoch to say whether this is an exceptional bottling. It has a very interesting nose (give it some time though), it’s easily drinkable and well-balanced. A good summer dram. Around € 55.

Score: 85/100