Are the new owners of Bladnoch stupid or arrogant ?

Sometimes I have a hard time understanding other people

I own a 5% share of 2 casks at Bladnoch which I bought through the previous owners. Last weekend I received this letter:

Short story is that the initial payment covered 8 years of warehouse rent and those 8 years have now passed.

If we don't remove our cask before 30th November the new rental charge will be 5£ a week, increasing to 10£ March 1st. 2016

The alternative is to have the casks moved to whiskybroker.co.uk for bottling or further storage

Whenever the cask will be moved there will be a 25£ "standard movement charge"

Other cask owners have received a similar letter

Here is my opinion on Bladnoch's initiative towards their old fans and customers

First a little fact. I also own a cask with Bruichladdich. With their new owners they increased the weekly rent to around 40 pence a week.I just paid for further 5 years storage of a cask that was 10 years old.

Here is a quote from the letter:

"As a goodwill gesture we will not be charging any rent up to 30th November"

This is 4 months free rental, since the cask was filled 27th July 2007. Something similar to 18 weeks free or 90£/180£ saved. If I choose to trust Bruichladdichs rates as the going costs of warehousing whisky (I know whiskybroker charges even less) they are really goodwilling us 7£. As I own 5%, they just gave me around 35 pence. Fantastic, I feel really goodwilled there. The cost of sending this annoying letter was 1£ so you can say they spend 3 as much on annoying customers than pleasing them.

Seems like I have to get hold of the other shareholders and decide what to do with these 2 casks. My vote is to get them moved to whiskybroker as fast as possible. When we hopefully agree to do this, we will have to get in touch with whiskybroker and have them move the casks. This will have to fit into their schedule I am pretty sure, and I have no idea when this is going to happen. Probably not within the next 2 weeks, so I wouldn't be surprised we will have to experience the new rental charge, which is more like a heavy fine. Lets say it takes 4 months. Then the charge will be 10-15£ for me, which is probably something most people with our hobby can live with, but it is still a lot of money, The experience of getting robbed is probably worse. So this is at most annoying. On our side

But from Bladnochs side I think this is stupid. Very. All distilleries have a fan base. It's great for a distillery to have fans. They are loyal customers. They are also mini brand ambassadors. I think it's stupid to piss off your old fans. They might have been fans of the former company, but it's still the same distillery. I would have chosen to nurse these people (of which one was me!). Get them to work for me. They would be my first target for new products. They would buy them naturally.

I would also have kept their casks in my warehouse. Think of all these fans coming to the distillery to see their casks. Off course you would have to work a bit to take these guests to their casks as they surely would like to, but these guest, and the friends they probably bring along, would be happy. They would also go into the shop and buy things. Whisky. Merchandise. They will take photos and post it on socail media. And they might go home and say how wonderful Bladnoch is, what a good time they had, how nice the people were, and how much they look forward to visit again. And as a side bonus they would stay at local B&B's and guesthouses and eat at local restaurants.

Instead they build up a somewhat big group of grumpy former fans. I can quote one reaction I have seen on the internet concerning this exact letter:

"I would suggest a boycott of the new Bladnoch bottles, whenever they appear, I know I will. There is no room in our small country for fools like this man, take a look in the mirror and ask yourself some serious questions - to the new owner P Craig"

In my opinion the new owners of Bladnoch have started things stupid. Maybe. Or maybe not....

I have also heard that the new owner is going to market Bladnoch as a premium luxury whisky. This means high prices, fancy bottles, wooden boxes and big time advertising, but usually not better whisky in the bottle. With the advertising a new segment of whisky consumers will be reached. I am pretty sure the now former fans won't be customers after a move like this. They wouldn't be interested in packaging over whisky. They are also pretty immune to marketing gimmicks as they know a bit more about whisky then the average consumer. So Bladnoch is actually just getting rid of people that would have left anyway. I don't know if this will be true, but if it is, then the new Bladnoch isn't stupid. Just arrogant

So are the new owner of Bladnoch stupid or arrogant. What do you think ?. 

8. December Bladnoch xmas 2012

This was yesterdays dram!

Bladnoch. 11yo. Matured in s sherry cask. 55% Bottled 2012

A Christmas Whisky

I visited the distillery last month and stocked up with a case of assorted Bladnochs. This was one of them. It's the same as the 11yo sherry casked they currently sell in their shop, this is just a different label in case anyone was looking for a christmas gift. It even comes with a Season's Greetings To and From card around the neck. This one was from me to me :-)

11 years old means this is New Bladnoch produce, made by Raymond Armstrong who reopened the distillery after Diageo closed it down in 93. There was 7 years without production as Bladnoch started distilling again in 2000. They havent distilled since 2009 but hope to make something again in 2013.

Short tasting notes says : Heavily sherried, dark licorise, but buried below is a delicious creamy, minty, vanillaed malt. Not that sweet a whisky. A bit rough on the alcohol so I decided to add a little water, which I often don't do to my whiskies. The faintest rubber hint I ever experienced in a whisky which makes me think I could as well be making it up. The complexity of this whisky  is unusual with quite different flavour components. A fun whisky to drink, but not for beginners...just add a little water if you aren't used to cask strength

Rating 86/100

Whiskybroker and Bladnoch

Whiskybroker and Bladnoch is close related. Whiskybroker is a company by Martin Armstrong, son of Bladnochs Raymond Armstrong. Whiskybroker is selling casks as well as an independent bottler. The style and pricelevel is very similar to that of Bladnochs, who also sold a bit of casks (not many) but also sells bottles via their online forum

Their websites are whiskybroker.co.uk and bladnoch.co.uk

Here's one from each

1. Longmorn 20yo 55.7% Whiskybroker
Bottle 13/54 Hoghshead 71752. Distilled 25th May 1992 Bottled 17th July 2012


Remarkable low turnout!. The nose is quite woody, similar to the floor varnish associations I get from old bourbons, which is something I REALLY like. The palate is very woody and dry, with a big bomb of faintly sweet but big fruityness behind. Note, that for me, dry and sweet are not necesarily opposites, as when I mention dry it's more texture related, while sweet is taste related. If you don't like wood stay away from this. This dram is a constant fight between the wood and fruit, each taking turns in attacking your palate in big waves, where the dryness from the wood easily outbattles the sweetness of the whisky, while palatewise the fruityness easily stands up for itself. The fruits I get is sweet strawberries and cherries boiled with a little bit of sugar. Despite the wood this is not very bitter, the finish is long and dominated by the fruit

My theory is that the wood impact is sucked into a third of the usual amount of bottles, which gives this bourbon similarities as bourbon is matured on fresh wood and do have more wood influence than scotch as a very general thumbrule. A very special whisky, probably not everybody's cup of tea and if it is you still need to be in the mood for it. Very Bourbonesque

Rating 89

2. Mannochmore 28yo 52.1% Bladnoch Forum
Bottle 110/270 Hoghshead 2853. Distilled 12th August 1982 Bottled 23th March 2011

This is a cask that has taken a lot of spicy flavours from the wood. The whisky has gained a lot from being open a month and a half. The nose is laidback and nothing spectacular with some odd sweetness, the great stuff comes out in the palate:
coconut, cinnamon, vanilla, spicy, laidback apples.
The finish is nice with the different wood spices lingering

Rating 85

Thanks to Miroslaw of whisky-blog.pl for the bottle :-)

My bang for the bucks whiskies

If you have been into whisky for a bit and think you are well acquainted with the front row at your local supermarket and ready to venture into new territories, things can be a bit of a jungle. The amount of bottlings out there these days is high. Wonderfully high. There's more to the world of whisky than top brands like Glenfiddich, Highland  Park, Glenlivet and Macallan.Nothing wrong with those I will say before going on.

Amongst bloggers and in forums it's always a reoccuring subject to name cheap whiskies, which is looked upon as great value for money. Who isn't interested in good deal ?

Here's MY list of a set of whiskies, which might not be the cheapest whiskies around, but I think you won't get better value for money than these. I don't think it's a coincidince that 9/10 of these are bottled at 46+ ABV, as my personal preference is for unchillfiltered, not watered down whiskies

Deanston 12yo, 46.3%
The new revatted, unchillfiltered version of Deanston, and what a comeback. Creamy, delicious single malt. Available for less than 30£

Deanston mini

Old Pulteney WK499
Available in selected airports World of Whiskies shops...Heathrow and Edinburgh from personal experience. I have seen this at 50£ for 2 1liter bottlings making this the best deal in whisky I have ever seen. It's a NAS Old Pulteney cask strength in a typical style of the distillery. Seaside vanilla and mint!

Balvenie 15yo Single Barrel 47.8%
Cask variation will of course be there, but these are typical delicious ex-bourbon vanilla whisky. Yum Yum. Not more than fortysomething quids usually

Tomatin 18yo 46%
Another solid comeback and a living proof that whisky at 46% just is better. One of my favourites at the whisky fringe 2009

Amrut Fusion 50%
First time I got this blind I guessed it as 20+ year old lightly peated speysider. Nuff said

Back label of Amrut, bottle almost gone

Glenburgie 10yo Gordon and MacPhail 40%
Sometimes seen at below 20£ on offer in UK, and below 300Dkr as standard price in Denmark, this is a delicious continous bottling from Gordon and MacPhails. It has got special touch that I often find in G and M sherry casked whiskies

Bladnoch Forum Bottlings
Apart from their own whisky, Raymond bottles a big selection of other distilleries. Bladnoch Forum bottlings is probably the greatest value for money whiskies around! Even includes Bladnoch whisky itself now and again.

Bladnoch Forum Bottling example : Cambus Grain 

Lagavulin 12yo Cask Strength
Bottled at cask strength and 12yo this is one of my favourite Islays. 44£ in Edinburgh airport

Tweeddale blend 46%/ Black Bull 12yo
A pair of excellent delicious blends and delightful newcomers to the whiskymarket. And it's great to see a blend that's not watered down to 40%. Less than 30£

Aberlour A'bunadh
Legendary small batch NAS cask strength fullsherried whiskies. Beware, there can be some batch variations

And here is one that you might have missed.

Arran Peacock
This was out 1½ year ago and sold out most places. Still available at Juul's in Copenhagen. Voted whisky of the year 2009 by whiskywhiskywhisky.com. One of my favourite whiskies

Saturday morning dramming - Talisker

When I had a relaxing friday evening, and wake up fresh and well slept on a saturday morning, it's time for a couple of morning drams. It's the perfect time. My palate hasn't been ruined yet by my the daily do's. I am in for a treat. A malt whisky will give it's full flavour to me. This is exactly when I get the most out of a dram.

Stein Inn, great food and real ales

Todays drams are a couple of Talisker. Talisker is located in a remote bay on the island Skye on the westcoast of Scotland. The mountainous island itself is worth the travel alone, and then you get a distillery thrown in for a bonus!

Skye

Talisker is well known for it's 10yo, which is a part of Diageo's classic malts range

The distillery have a visitor center and offers an extended tour which includes a wee vertical tasting. Recently Diageo has started offering distillery only bottlings at select distilleries. This includes amongst others Oban, Lagavulin and also Talisker. These bottlings are NAS (no-age-statement) and bottled at cask strength

1. Talisker 53.9%

This is a very maritime whisky. I can't recall having a more maritime whisky actually. It got a sense of seaside harbour to it. Salt, water, fish, harbour. If you are well-acquinted with the 10 year old distillery bottling, this whisky is more or less as expected. More peaty, sharper due to higher ABV and more peppery. Pepper (it's black pepper!) and palateprickling is more or less the Talisker characterisitics. At least when its presented at younger ages. This is a very good dram, another proof to me that Talisker is best at young ages, where the distillery character is at full impact

Rating 86

(but it's moving towards a 4 really - it's a great dram)

2. Talisker 175th Anniversary 45.8%

(Photo by Duffer)

A vatting of up to 20yo whiskies bottled to celebrate the distillery's 175th anniversary.

Very mellow whisky, the peat is soft, so is the pepper but pepper is more dominant here. This actual makes me think - this is how and old Gordon and MacPhail Speysider vatted with young Talisker would taste :-)

It's very spicy, and the mellowness tends to work in the opposite direction. Add to this some woodyness. This is a fine whisky, but it's not the way I prefer Talisker. I prefer them young, only old Talisker I thought was good was the Gordon and MacPhail 1.1 50yo, but that was more old whisky than Talisker

Rating 85

Thursday, Sue Sellers of Bladnoch Distillery was looking for tasting notes for some of their Dailuaine's released for the Bladnoch Distillery Forum

This made me pop up mine last night and here's my thoughts :

3. Dailuaine 26yo 53.1% cask 4215

Distilled 2/11 1983, Bottled 7/7 2010 for the Bladnoch Distillery Forum

Colour : Hay, pale straw

Nose : a delightful mix of classic dried and fresh fruits, wine and wood. By classic sherry fruits I mean raisins, plums etc. I thorogh search reveals a bit of Vanilla. The fruity/spiced woody nose makes this a dream to nose. I really enjoy it

Palate : It delivers like a minty ex-bourbon, but the palate is soon dominated slightly by raisins and wood bitterness. The delivery is sharp on the alcohol and the bitterness might be too much for some. Me ?. I love the mint/sherry combinations :-)

Finish : Quite long and like a fresh-mint

Overall this whisky has an unusual property. You often see E150'ed whiskies that looks like a sherry cask, but when you taste it the colour and taste doesn't match at all. You can say the same here, but you don't feel fooled, but surprised. This whisky doesn't look like an ex-sherry cask whisky, but it sure taste like one. Colour adjusted with chlorine ? :-)

Rating 81

Bladnoch Tasting Notes here : http://bladnoch.wordpress.com/

Bladnoch

A Fairy Tale Story ?

Bladnoch distillery

Bladnoch distillery is Scotlands southernmost distillery, It's located just outside Wigtown in Galloway, and is one of the remote distilleries in Scotland. Diageo mothballed Bladnoch in 1993 and sold it to Raymond Armstrong, a building entrepeneur from Northern Ireland in 1994, with a condition not to distill. Raymond Armstrong needed a summerhouse and Bladnoch he bought.

Bladnoch River from the distillery

Raymond, being an entrepeneur, soon wanted to reopen the place, but it wasn't after many years of hard work and negotiating with Diageo he got the permissions. In December 2000 production was kicked off again. 

 A visitor centre was opened and old stock was acquired, and Raymond was able to release his own bottlings of Bladnoch. In 2008 he released his first bottlings of his own production, three 6 year olds, a lightly peated, an ex-bourbon cask and an ex-sherry cask. Recently an 8yo has been released.

 Bladnoch is a whiskyentusiasts dream of a distillery. The releases, both from new and old stock are single cask or small batches, often bottled at casks strength. Beside Bladnoch bottlings, Raymond also purchases casks from other distilleries and bottle them for his online Forum members. And it's cheap, very cheap whisky

Check out the best online distillery website here : http://www.bladnoch.co.uk/

The cask of one of the first forum bottlings

Raymond Armstrong and a cask of Bladnoch

Ralfy and Raymond

Just this week the bottle no.1 of a 28yo Inchgower is being auctioned for charity. The bottle has the signature of both Ralfy and Raymond. Ralfy made a vlog about this bottling and you can follow the auction via the Bladnoch Forum.

Ralfy's vlog : http://whiskyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/bladnoch-forum-bottling-factory.html

Bladnoch Forum : http://www.bladnoch.co.uk/threads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=36491#Post36491

Bidding ends 29th August. The money is destined for local charity 

The Bladnoch Forum got a lively activity, with regular postings from Raymond about the daily doos at the distillery, and participation from other distillers and bottlers as well as whiskyentusiast from all over the world.

Joining the forum gives access to discounts on both Bladnoch and Forum bottlings.

You can also follow Bladnoch on facebook here : http://bit.ly/9cXVKX

Well, this post was really an excuse to have a few drams, so here we go :

Bladnoch bottlings

1. Bladnoch 8yo 55% 

I have to say I love this bottling. Young whisky that isn't peated, heavily sherried or finished. Just plain "simple" whisky from good casks. It's very easy drinkable, and I have before described it's complexity as sniper like, and that still holds. After 2 or 3 sips the flavours starts to explode in your mouth.

It's a fresh, clean malt

Today I get : Mint, firecrackers, slight grassy-citus and some maltyness

The finish is very long and playful

Very more-ish whisky!

This should be a compulsary part of every entusiasts whiskycupboard 

Rating 89

2. Bladnoch 19yo 55%

Floral, minty, coconut

I have tried quite a few "old" Bladnochs during the last 5 years. With the gap in production of 8 years the bottlings from Raymonds older releases slowly gets older and older. The first one I acquired around 2004-2005 was 15yo and the most recent bottling is 19yo and 20yo's. This 19yo, one of the more perfume-floral Bladnochs (I find this quite a lot of Bladnochs from 1988-1993) is the first bottling I tried that appears more aged whisky than fresh whisky. In that sense it reminds me most of the 23yo Rare Malt Bladnoch, that until I saw the 20yo on the Bladnoch Forum just recently, was the only 20+ yo Bladnoch I was aware of, and is the only 20+ yo Bladnoch I ever tasted. 23yo Bladnoch was a magnificient dram and I am really looking forward to what will be bottled in 5 years time from Raymond, if any old stock will be left by then!

Well, this is essential the first bottling from Raymond I had that felt like "old" whisky when drinking it.

Rating 84

3. Glen Elgin 25yo 41.8% Bladnoch Forum Bottling

Sweet, candylike, well aged, slight elderflower, good bourboncask. Another cracker of a whisky from a bourbon cask.. The finish is long and reveals a bit of coconut and mint

Rating 85

4. Glen Elgin 25yo 42.5% Bladnoch Forum Bottling

Not far from the 41.8% bottling flavourwise, but not as intense in its expression.I've always had Glen Elgin on my secret gem list and these two bottlings are just more water on my mill ! 

Excellent whiskies. The ABV is lower than expected for a 25yo casks strength, but I almost always found that whiskies that has gone surprisingly low on their ABV relative to their age are absolutely wonderful. The alcohol content is low, but the whisky, and by that also the ingredients responsible for flavour hasn't been diluted

Rating 85

5. Benriach 23yo 49.7%

Spicy, very minty, meaty. Another cracker of an ex-bourbon cask. Some floral notes in the finish

Rating 85

6. Balblair 20yo 53.7%

An ex-sherry cask bottling. If you like raisins you will like this one. I get a minimum impact of sulphur on the nose but after 10 seconds it's gone. The sherry casks impact still allow a slight note of vanilla to get thru. A really good bottling that improves over time

Rating 89

I also reviewed a couple of Bladnoch Forum Glenburgies at this post : http://danishwhiskyblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/glenburgie.html