Bladnoch
Bladnoch is not only the southernmost whisky distillery in Scotland, it is also one of the very few surviving traditional distilleries in the Lowlands. For a long time, Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie were the only active distilleries in the Scottish Lowlands. Today, with the distillery boom, this has long since changed. Fortunately, Bladnoch was reawakened from its 7-year slumber in 2000. The heavy, creamy single malt from Bladnoch combines the grassy citrus notes of the Lowlands with a full-bodied mouthfeel.Sweet cream, caramel and pickled fruit are often found as flavours in Bladnoch whiskies. An exciting lowland whisky that has fortunately survived the tough years and is now back in full bloom. Try Bladnoch now and revive the whisky tradition of the Lowlands!
Content: 0.7 Liter (€97.11* / 1 Liter)
Content: 0.7 Liter (€57.86* / 1 Liter)
Content: 0.04 Liter (€249.75* / 1 Liter)
Content: 0.7 Liter (€239.99* / 1 Liter)
Content: 0.7 Liter (€101.43* / 1 Liter)
Content: 0.04 Liter (€549.75* / 1 Liter)
Content: 0.7 Liter (€155.70* / 1 Liter)
Content: 0.7 Liter (€117.13* / 1 Liter)
And along came Raymond...
The fate of Scotland's southernmost whisky distillery seemed sealed when Bladnoch was mothballed in 1993. The then owner UD (United Distillers, now Diageo) no longer had any use for the pretty little Lowland distillery. The Malt Whisky Yearbook describes what happened next as follows: "However, along came Raymond Armstrong." The building contractor from Northern Ireland bought the disused distillery from UD - on the condition that no whisky would be produced. Holiday flats were to be built there instead. In this way, UD wanted to protect its lowland distillery Glenkinchie from competition. Raymond, however, fell in love with Bladnoch and the idea of a working distillery. And the likeable Irishman is not only very hospitable, he can also be extremely stubborn. So Raymond lobbied, got the community on board, made plans and worked UD over and over again - until the copper stills at Bladnoch were finally fired up again in 2000. Today, Bladnoch is owned by Australian businessman David Prior.
What does Bladnoch mean? The literal translation of Bladnoch is "flowery place".
Where is Bladnoch located? Bladnoch Distillery is located in Wigtown, a small town near the coast in the southern Lowlands. This makes the distillery the most southerly whisky distillery in Scotland. Bladnoch is therefore one of the few traditional Lowland whiskies.
3 reasons to love Bladnoch
1) Because Raymond Armstrong's legacy is still alive today.
2) Because it must go on.
3) Because the Bladnoch River ripples so picturesquely past the small distillery.
What does Bladnoch whisky taste like?
Bladnoch has the fresh grass and citrus flavours typical of the Lowlands, but is relatively strong and full-bodied and creamy for a Lowland. You will often find notes of whipped cream in Bladnoch whiskies.
Our Bladnoch recommendation
The Bladnoch Samsara is an excellent single malt. The Samsara was released to celebrate Bladnoch's 200th anniversary. The whisky is a combination of Californian red wine casks and bourbon casks. The Gaelic word Samsara means rebirth and very elegantly describes the reopening of the distillery.
A little history on Bladnoch
The distillery was established in 1817 by brothers John and Thomas McClelland and remained in the family until 1937, despite several closures.
In 1938, Bladnoch was sold to Ross & Coulter, who dismantled the equipment and shipped it to Sweden.
It was not until 1956 that the distillery was rebuilt and put back into operation by Bladnoch Co. Ltd. under A.B. Grant. Several changes of ownership followed until Bladnoch went to United Distillers in 1985, who closed it down in 1993.
In 1995, Raymond Armstrong from Northern Ireland bought the mothballed distillery, originally to create holiday flats. However, the distillery resumed production in 2000. This new Bladnoch has been available as a single malt since April 2008.
In 2015, Bladnoch was bought by Australian businessman David Prior after the company ran into financial difficulties. Prior hired experienced staff, including Ian MacMillan, former Master Distiller at Burn Stewart and later Nick Savage, who had been Master Distiller at Macallan for three years.
Figures & facts about Bladnoch
Address: Bladnoch, Wigtown, Wigtonshire DG8 9AB
Founded: 1817 by John & Thomas McClelland
Status: active
Owner: David Prior
Capacity: approx. 1,500.000 litres
2 wash stills (13,500 l)
2 spirit stills (10,000 l)
Water: Bladnoch River
Visitor Centre: Yes
Phone: +44 (0)1988 402605
Website: www.bladnoch.co.uk