Bladnoch 24 (1990) Adelphi

Review by: Raygun

Visited a local bar for some drams. No menu; you either look at the back bar to pick something or talk with one of the bartenders and he’ll make some suggestions. The guy I talked to turned out to be quite knowledgeable and after asking what I was looking for, brought over a selection of bottles and introduced each one. I turned down the Littlemill at $220 a pour. He then suggested this Bladnoch for a Lowland, and I decided it would would be a good start. Not had any Adelphi and almost no Bladnoch. Even better, the bartender said they’d do half-pours of anything with no upcharge. Love it when places do that.

Distillery: Bladnoch

Bottler: Adelphi

Region/style: Lowland single malt Scotch

ABV: 59.3%. Cask strength

Age: 24 years. Distilled in 1990. Bottled in 2014.

Cask type: Refill hogshead

Price: About $11 for the half pour

Nose: Vanilla and berries, strawberries mostly. Some blackberry as well. I’d almost think it had some wine cask influence.

Palate: More berries here, and foresty flavor. Cooked barley. Balsamic vinegar and a touch of yogurt or maybe cream cheese. Works nicely with the berry flavors.

Finish: Vanilla and strawberries. Also a bit of plum. Little cheesecake vibe to this. Balsamic vinegar still. Not that oaky, considering the age. Good length.

Conclusion: Very pleasant. The cream cheese is unusual, but combines well with the fruit flavors. Not the most complex dram, but does what it does well. The alcohol was a bit strong and a few drops of water helped.

Buy a bottle? Wouldn’t specifically hunt it. If I came across it at a good price, I’d consider it.

Final Score: 80

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
  • 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)

Published by Raygun

Unknown's avatar

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

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