review #2: Bladnoch 1990/2011, Edition Spirits, 58.3%, cask #ES 005/01

I think this is pre-Armstrong and pre-Hunter Laing indy Bladnoch ...

Why did they ever close it? And in the 90's, too -- wasn't the whisky crisis over by then? Did the place come with two or three stills? With whisky in the warehouse?

Nose: very sweet, perfumed apples as soon as I open it -- not like the newmakey apple, or the generic Glenfiddich green apples -- more like a winey heirloom apple, or something Snow White would bite into (without the poison). Then cherries and other orchard fruit, maybe some berries and macarons, and a rich graininess. It settles into a sharp grassiness with a bit of engine oil.

Palate: strangely like the nose but backwards. it starts off sharp, grassy, peppery, and ends up on rich, sweet orchard fruit. pretty powerful at this strength (duh).

Long, peppery, oily (motor and cooking) finish.

For me the best part was the nose, however: the rich red fruit was powerful but balanced by the grain and grass. It did hold up on the palate, too.

score: 86