Official Bottling | 46.7% ABV

Does Region Snobbery Occur In Whisky?

I have a confession to make. This Bladnoch is the first and only Lowland single malt Scotch I’ve tried so far in my whisky tasting voyage. I know, sacrilege. I can hear you all shouting, ‘Call yourself a whisky drinker Hamish?’ I’m as embarrassed as you are. 

A few things could be factors in why this is my first and only taste at what Lowland Scotch whiskies have to offer. One main reason I could categorise why, at a high level, is maybe something to do with regional snobbery and a disregard to the region itself. What I mean by regional snobbery is the same kind of attitude some of us unconsciously have when we taste or buy a particular whisky brand, be it a single malt or a blend. And I’ll touch on that here in this piece.

I remember being at a whisky festival a few years back in Belfast. Standing at a table of Old Pulteney and keen to try them after the change in branding, I couldn’t help but overhear their brand ambassador talking to another enthusiast. After asking if he would like to try one of their expressions, the attendee replied ‘No, I only drink Speyside Scotch’. Now, we all have our own preferences and likes/dislikes. Each to their own, but I could only think to myself, ‘If that’s the case big lad, then you’re missing out on some absolute cracking whiskies’. It wasn’t my place to confront this person, nor did I want to do it while standing with my father-in-law and brother-in-law. I was doing enough talking to them without cranking the whisky geek levels up even more. That experience got me thinking about certain preconceptions we might automatically have towards an expression, or indeed, region.

Starting off in pursuing whisky, my local supermarket was the main outlet for me as well as a large online retailer. I stuck to brands I was familiar with, and as time went on, I sought a richer experience with the drams I poured. So my purchasing outlets wouldn’t have many (if any) Lowlands on offer for me to purchase, and I wouldn’t have known many brands to begin with. And here’s where my own snobbery came into the picture. As an example, today I was in my local supermarket and picked up a bottle of Auchentoshan American Oak and noticed it was 40% ABV. It’s the only known Lowland to me that’s widely available in the UK. It’s safe to assume colour has been added, and it is chill-filtered. Oh and triple distilled. By this stage I’ve put the bottle back. The triple distilled angle is fairly unique, but I get enough of that with Irish whiskey. I like something a bit heavier. Not that I’m outrightly saying, ‘I only drink x’, but this expression and branding isn’t pulling me in. 

Budget does play a role here too. I want to ensure I’m getting as much value as possible when purchasing a new bottle of whisky to enjoy. I am wrong in disregarding these types of bottles available in the likes of supermarkets. They’re what got me into whisky and do hold some sort of value in the whisky sphere. Easy sippers and enjoyable drams that you don’t have to think much about. My early days in whisky were influenced by reading reviews and watching whisky content on YouTube. Both avenues didn’t venture into much Lowland expressions. The Auchentoshan was often disregarded as an OK malt. Ailsa Bay was deemed average and a nice path for newbies looking to get into a smokier dram. Perhaps a touch of regional snobbery here? Who knows? But with these budget malts, I will and have looked past them, and probably will continue to do so. It’s this type of mindset in which I’m pondering if we ever experienced a little regional snobbery. 

So let’s look at the difference between Lowland and the other regions on the Scottish mainland, with a wee delve into the history of the region. At the time of writing, there are 15 active Lowland distilleries in Scotland, with seven more in development. Geographically, it has a smaller amount within the region compared to the Highlands and Speyside. Typically Lowland malts are regarded as light and grassy in flavour with peat not playing a prominent role in the malting process in whisky making. 

The history of the Scottish Lowlands makes for some grim reading due to a time of mass closures of distilleries. The classification of the Lowland region came due to the 1784 Wash Act. The Wash Act stated that Highland distilleries were taxed based upon the size of their still. Lowland distilleries were taxed per gallon in the wash. This ultimately led to anger from Lowland distillers over their comparably high duty rates. The Wash Acts had assumed that the typical Lowland distiller would charge his stills an average of once a day. However, the Lowland distillers had something else in mind. By changing the design of their stills, Lowland producers were able to cycle their stills an average of 10 to 20 times a day. As you can imagine the market saw a flood of cheap and horrific spirit. You wouldn’t even consider it whisky compared to the spirit produced in the Highlands. Its only purpose was to be rectified into gin.

The British Government at the time were trying their best to try and curb the increased alcoholism from cheap gin making its way to London. Gin Act after Gin Act, they had only one thing in mind, ‘Restrict and Regulate’ the sale of gin. Lowland distillers sent their spirit to England, and by 1786, Scottish distillers controlled a quarter of the London gin market. Very impressive. 

But those crafty chaps in Parliament weren’t quite done yet. They responded to increased pressure from distillers in England, by passing the Scottish Distillers Act in 1786. In came higher duties on exports to England which effectively shut down the Lowland distillers. Export sales declined by more than 90%, and many Lowland distillers were driven into bankruptcy. Now these events came well before any tax decrease and legislation to promote legitimate distillation. But the region here took a huge blow solidifying itself as a key region of the production of Scotch whisky and creating a liquid that would be palatable and rival its Highland counterpart. 

I think there’s real food for thought here. As time went on, the producers we know and love began to make a name for themselves with their spirit. We can now look back in time and see the preference for a softer liquid that hailed from the Highlands/Speyside for blend producers, especially during such drastic times for the industry e.g. Prohibition in America. An argument for my question of snobbery towards a region in Scotch whisky. 

On to the whisky itself. This Bladnoch 10 year old is bottled at 46.7% ABV and non chill-filtered as stated on the label. No mention of natural colour, so we’ll have to assume there’s some added here. Before my tasting notes, I want to share a couple of pieces of info on Bladnoch that can lay the foundation on my experience with this dram. The distillery has two stills that have a reflux bowl above the intermediate piece to separate the alcohol better and create a smoother taste. They choose to purchase their malt from Simpsons home of good malt. The warehouses of the distillery are flat, so the casks are not stored high. This and the southern Scottish climate (which wouldn’t be considered as rough as in the Highlands) allows the whisky to mature in a slower fashion, creating its unique taste. And a unique taste indeed!

Review

‘Hand selected’ ex-bourbon casks, 46.7% ABV
£50-£55 when released but hard to find now

I came across this expression after it was reviewed by Ralfy, and he gave it a 90/100. With such a high mark I felt I had to get a bottle and give it a go. I’d only known of Bladnoch as part of the Diageo’s Flora & Fauna range prior to this.

Nose

Soft and rounded. Vanilla cream and some canned peaches soaked in syrup. Top that with some clotted cream. Quite sugary and a layer of biscuit too. I’d say there’s a kick of ginger with some dusty wood. It’s a touch green on the nose. Grassy and a little floral. Back end of the nose I’m teasing out some orange zest and some hard-boiled sweets, like pear drops.

Palate

Lemony and malty on arrival. Like lemon curd. It’s a bit sharp at the back of the throat at first and tingles the tip of the tongue. A lot of the nose is coming through on the taste which is delightful. It’s a bit lactic with the mouth feel, creamy and slightly oily. It almost reminds me of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh fruit and pineapple too. Getting all that creamy vanilla and lemon zest. It’s a good lengthy finish on this one. Fruit and sweetness ramp up toward the end. It’ll have you longing for another sip. Followed by another. 

The Dregs

The price docks a point for me. At around £50 for a 10-year-old malt is a bit expensive. Comparing the price to the very impressive Arran 10 and Glencadam 10 with the quality these two bottles deliver. You can tell that there were good active casks used for the creation of this 10 year old. No mention of which fill of a bourbon barrel it was, just that it was matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks. There are so many delicious flavours in this malt. It's so moreish and chewy I can’t see the remainder of this bottle lasting too long. It’s been a fantastic introduction of Lowland malts for me, and the distillery. I’m keen to try other expressions from Bladnoch if I can get my hands on them. No more looking past the Scottish Lowlands for Hamish. I’m keen to see what else is on offer from here, and excited for what the new producers will have for us in the future.

Score: 7/10

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HF

Other opinions on this:

Ralfy

The Whisky Lock

Got a link to a reliable review? Tell us.