Raise a dram to Rabbie Burns with Bladnoch

As the world prepares to celebrate the life and work of iconic Scottish poet, Robert Burns, on Thursday 25th January 2024, Bladnoch has recommended some of its finest Lowland malt whiskies to toast Scotland’s national bard this Burns Night.

Bladnoch is the southernmost distillery in Scotland and one of the closest to where Burns spent his life in Dumfries & Galloway. The water which gave life to this historic distillery sustained the whiskies of Burns’ era, making Bladnoch the ideal dram to complement Burns Suppers this January.

The Bladnoch Classic Collection is expertly handcrafted by Master Distiller, Dr Nick Savage and his team, using water from the River Bladnoch which flows alongside the distillery. All four whiskies – Vinaya, Liora, Samsara and Alinta – are natural in colour and non-chill filtered, to ensure the truest flavours shine through.

Bladnoch Vinaya, 70cl, 46.7% ABV, £50 / AUD $100 / USD $70

Vinaya, a Sanskrit word meaning respect and gratitude, pays homage to Bladnoch Distillery’s original founders who paved the way for the brand’s exciting new era of innovation and production.

Non-chill filtered and natural in colour, Bladnoch Vinaya is matured in a unique combination of first-fill bourbon and sherry casks, a process which creates notes of fresh apple, sweet floral grass and hints of chocolate.

Available at www.bladnoch.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers.

Bladnoch Liora, 70cl, 52.2% ABV, £70 / AUD $125 / USD $90

The name Liora has its origins in Hebrew, meaning ‘the gift of light’. The latest addition to the Classic Collection, Bladnoch Liora is matured in a combination of bourbon and new oak casks and is the first of the brand’s releases to be bottled at distiller’s strength of 52.2% ABV.

Liora embodies the delicate balance between the intensity of the new oak and the sweetness of the bourbon casks, resulting in flavours of fresh cut apples, toasted caramel, peppery spices and fresh oak.

Available at www.bladnoch.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers.

Bladnoch Samsara, 70cl, 46.7% ABV, £80 / AUD $160 / USD $100

Bladnoch Samsara, meaning ‘rebirth’, is a full-bodied and fragrant blend of malts matured in Californian red wine and ex-bourbon casks.

Rich and sweet with notes of vanilla, fudge and citrus, this unique non-age-statement malt whisky is the perfect dram for the dark winter months.

Available at www.bladnoch.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers. 

Bladnoch Alinta, 70cl, 47% ABV, £80 / AUD $160 / USD $100

Alinta, an indigenous word from several southeast Australian language groups, means ‘fire’ and ‘flames’, and evokes the notes of campfire embers found in each sip.

A sweet, smoky, peated spirit, Bladnoch Alinta takes its flavour from maturation in Pedro Ximénez sherry and ex-bourbon casks, which sets this whisky apart from anything previously released by Bladnoch.

Available at www.bladnoch.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers. 

Tasting Notes

 Bladnoch Vinaya

Colour: Summer barley field.

Nose: Sweet floral grass with boiled sweets.

Palate: Fresh green apples and chocolate with a hint of pepper.

Finish: Light and refreshing.

 

Bladnoch Liora

Colour: Natural.

Nose: Fresh cut apples, with toasted caramel and floral notes.

Palate: Caramelised toffee apples with peppery spices and fresh cut oak.

Finish: Long, with a slightly warming dryness.

 

Bladnoch Samsara

Colour: Copper gold.

Nose: Vanilla cream, floral with fresh cut apples.

Palate: Thick vanilla fudge, sweet floral grass.

Finish: Rich, mouth coating, leading to refreshing citrus.

 

Bladnoch Alinta

Colour: Copper.

Nose: Smoky ice cream, delicate floral with sweet oak.

Palate: Campfire smoke, almonds and raisins with a white chocolate body.

Finish: Long with a sweet smoke.

 About Bladnoch Distillery

Bladnoch Distillery was established in 1817, making it the oldest privately owned Scotch whisky distillery in the world. As the southernmost distillery in Scotland, Bladnoch is commonly referred to as the ‘Queen of the Lowlands.’

Hand-crafted using malt from British growers and the pristine water from the River Bladnoch which flows alongside the distillery, Bladnoch single malts are non-chill filtered to ensure the truest flavours shine through.

This legacy brand has been revived in recent years by Master Distiller, Dr Nick Savage, formerly of The Macallan, and owner David Prior, who purchased Bladnoch Distillery in 2015 and is the first Australian businessman to own a Scotch whisky distillery.

The team at Bladnoch is truly passionate about the preservation of the environment and the local community’s generational involvement in this iconic distillery.