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 :-)