If we think about the whisky facts in this 2017, one of the biggest was surely the return in style of the historic and historically tormented Bladnoch distillery: after being mothballed for a couple of years at the end of the unsuccessful Armstrong ownership era, David Prior, australian yogurt entrepeneur, bought the distillery, made a brand new core range and refurbished the distillery. Production recently started again, meanwhile construction works for a visitor center are still in progress. Today we start from the pinnacle, tasting Talia, a 25 years old single malt commemorating the distillery’s bicentenary. Spoiler: there are some ex Port casks involved.
N: we have a very rich and explicit whisky, with a lot of fruits in the foreground: tons of mixed apples (even caramelized?), strawberry jam, ripe melon; a strong and sugary orange note, that is a little industrial, if you get what we mean, a bit like orange (and lemon) hard candy. Shortbread biscuits and red fruits brioches. Also pineapple and candied citron. In short you will find a lot of fruits and sugar, but this is more sugary than fruity: We’d say this doesn’t fit well for the diabetics! It’s amazing how fresh it is, with just a soft wood touch (flavored pipe tobacco), after 25 years old maturation.
P: it’s really fruity again, and again very much sugary. Talia starts fresh and intense, suggesting a delicate distillate behind all, but then, unlike the nose, a bittering woody background keeps growing: walnut, almond peels, dried nuts generally. There is a sweet/acid dicotomy, with notes of plums, candied citrus fruits and a lot of strawberrys. In the end, apples are overflowing again.
F: quite persistent and long. Strawberrys and oranges are dancing together, with some good interludes of dried nuts.
We must admit that we tasted this Bladnoch full of prejudices. What was the need to involve ex Port casks for a 25 years old single malt? To be honest, luckily, the Port influence is really soft, not totalising, and Talia turns out to be an enjoyable, deep and very fresh whisky. This is a bit too expensive, but it’s nice – maybe a bit simple but that Port touch has been been imparted with such a great knowledge. The bottle and the presentation, then, are truly exceptional: 88/100.
Recommended soundtrack: New Order – Shellshock.
