13/10/2021 Bladnoch

Bladnoch 16yo d.1980 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#89/591/12): nose: a delicate nose, ripe with meadow flowers (buttercups, daisies, cornflowers) and a subtle hint of coffee grounds. The flowers develop to incorporate dandelions and blooming clover, and, if there is a fleeting sweetness, it soon turns earthy-dry, pointing at an omelette that has stuck to the frying pan. In no time, it is flowery and fresh again, slightly more minty than in the beginning. The second nose is closer to breakfast in a rustic kitchen, with a hot stove, toasted bread, jam jars, a pot of coffee in the distance, and a sugar bowl (for the coffee, obviously). Lastly, caramelised (burnt) apricots show up. Mouth: mellow, unctuous, this has the texture of virgin olive oil. It is sweeter on the tongue than the nose suggested, with mint drops and sweetened milk. The flowers have become a sauce made of petals, thick, fragrant, and served on pancakes. That flower-petal sauce provides a discreet bitterness that works a treat as a counterbalance for the sweetness. Finish: mellow again, even if it eventually warms up the soul. There are more mint drops and mint cake than before. A certain sweetness remains, madeleines, frangipane tartlets and Macha-tea doughnuts, but all in all, it is very much a (gently) minty finish. Maybe a dollop of hazelnut paste waves from afar, holding a couple of cut buttercups. Very nice, though it may just lack a bit of oomph. 8/10