Loch Maberry, Wave & Upcoming Travel. A note from Dr Nick Savage
- 4 min reading time
Hi everyone,
Over the last couple of months there’s been lots happening with Bladnoch, and we also have some great things in place for the next 12 months. I wanted to take this opportunity to update everyone on all things Bladnoch!
Earlier this month, we launched Loch Maberry Chapter Three, a whisky celebrating Roddie and Elaine’s love story and long connection to Bladnoch. It’s been a pleasure to share their story with you, and to finally reveal the whisky they chose when they joined me in the sample room.
The cask selection process, as with all our whiskies, is all around the taste. The Loch Maberry selection process is no different, and we started by blind tasting 24 whiskies that day. Roddie and Elaine knew nothing about the casks, ages or histories behind them, so they could focus entirely on what was in the glass and choose the whisky that felt right for their story and the taste experience.
After much deliberation, the chosen cask was unexpected for us all and came with a great overarching warmth to it. For all Loch Maberrys, the tasting notes are an amalgamation of everyone involved, and for me apricot comes through first, followed by the richer sweetness of marmalade. An overall syrupy mouthfeel gives the whisky a great viscosity and “stickability” for a very long finish. Between myself, Roddie and Elaine, we arrived at three words to describe it: Apricot - Marmalade - Syrup.
An exciting and fun moment for all Loch Maberry Chapters is the reveal of all the pre-selected casks only after the final choice has been made, keeping taste first throughout. I enjoyed Roddie and Elaine’s reaction (along with my own surprise) when we discovered that the selected whisky had been matured in an ex-Cognac cask. I enjoyed seeing them connect with the flavours and the way it made them feel, before knowing anything about age or cask type. Taste first really is how great whiskies are made.
I hope those of you who ordered a bottle have received it by now and had a chance to taste it. I’d love to hear what you think, and what your 3 words were.
It’s been a quiet and hot summer at the distillery, but our main sponsorship of the Wigtown Book Festival has borne fruit in September, with sellout events collecting rave reviews. We’ll continue to support our local communities, and it’s a great example of how collaboration can deliver benefits for our communities, which are the lifeblood of a distillery.
We have also recently installed a bottling facility on site, and it’s great to see our team embrace a new string to our bow and continue to build our skills, knowledge and experience as a team, setting Bladnoch up for a successful future in years to come.
When change comes, I’m constantly reminded that it’s the teams and people that make whiskies and distilleries great over time, and as members of the 1817 Club, please always take a moment to acknowledge everyone who continues with the vision of making a top-tier whisky for you to enjoy. It’s not easy making whisky, but your enjoyment always makes it worthwhile for everyone involved.
There’s more to look forward to in the coming year. If you follow me on Instagram (@Bladnoch_Master_Distiller), you may already have caught a glimpse, but after a year of rest…. Wave Day is back! 15th of May 2027 – save the date in your calendars! We’re working on making it a day to remember, and I can’t wait to welcome you back to Bladnoch and continue to build our great community together!
And lastly, in October, I’m back out on my travels and I’ll be heading to Germany. If you’re nearby, I’d be delighted to meet you:
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Wednesday 7 October, 7.30 pm: Tasting evening at Dehlwisch, Lohne
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Thursday 8 October, 7.00 pm: Tasting evening at Der Schottlandladen, Mainz
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Friday 9 October, 1.00–4.00 pm: Drop-in tasting and meet and greet at Wein- und Getränkewelt Weiser, Heppenheim
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Friday 9 October, 7.00 pm: Evening at Delias Whiskyshop, Kaiserslautern
A limited number of places remain available. If you’d like to come along, bookings can be made directly with the retailers through their websites.
But for those not in Germany, the Bladnoch team will be at tastings and whisky festivals across the UK and Europe between now and Christmas. The best way to find out where we are is always through our Instagram account @Bladnochwhisky.
Whether I see you in Germany, or you meet the team closer to home or at the distillery, I hope you’ll be sharing a dram with us sometime soon.
