The Sunset of the 30 Year Old
- 4 min reading time
The Bladnoch 30 year old has always been a special whisky for me. Not just because of what it is in the glass, but because of when it began.
Distilled in December 1990, it’s a whisky that’s grown up alongside a huge amount of change. Back then, the world felt very different. The pace of life was slower, things were simpler, and most of us spent more time outside than in. While everything around it moved forward at an ever-increasing rate of change, this whisky did the opposite. Sitting quietly in the warehouse, developing its character over three decades.
When I describe the 30, I always come back to three words: Seville Oranges, Apricots and Floral. It’s a very layered whisky, one that evolves in the glass. You get that bright citrus, soft stone fruit, and then this earthiness, almost outdoorsy floral note that reminds me of being outside “when I was a lad” back in the 90s.
A lot of my tasting notes come from memories, a lot of which I draw on from my mum's cooking and baking. For me, there’s something in this whisky that takes me straight back to the feeling of growing up back then and having those now nostalgic meals. There’s a familiarity to it, like a fruit sponge or pudding, something warm and homemade that brings back those memories straight away.
The 30 year old was always intended to be a halo for the range. We’ve only ever produced it in small batches, using just two casks each time (Oloroso and Moscatel Sherry), which is why it was always extremely limited for a core product. And now, we’ve reached it’s final sunset, with only a small number of bottles remaining, it’s given us a moment to reflect on the past 30 years, and how much has changed since this whisky was first laid down.
It’s never easy to let something like this go. But whisky, like anything, has to keep moving forward. Sometimes you have to let things go to make way for what comes next but always remain respectful and inspired by that which has come before. As the Issac Newton quote in my PhD introduction reads “if I have seen further, it is only because I have stood on the shoulders of giants”, and the 30 year old now becomes one of those inspirations we use to move forward at Bladnoch.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more of the story behind this whisky. Looking back at 1990, the memories, the moments, and the journey this liquid has been on. Stay tuned and we’d love for you to be part of that conversation, and let’s have some fun together!
So, what else is happening at Bladnoch?
Alongside this final chapter for the 30 Year Old, we’re also looking ahead.
We’ll soon be introducing the Bladnoch 1817 Club, bringing a more structured way for our community to stay closer to the distillery. It will give you access to exclusive releases, early updates and a closer look at what we’re working on behind the scenes. I’ll share more details soon, but hopefully everyone will enjoy the launch!
For me, after returning from Germany and India in the past couple months, I’ll be heading out to Hong Kong and Southern China for a couple of weeks in May. We have some great market exclusives to launch in China as we continue to recruit for our amazing brand and grow our presence overall. Hong Kong is also becoming a familiar location for me and a great market for Bladnoch in general, as we will be hosting a few private dinners along with influencer tastings and media. Lots of support from our local distributor to pull this trip together, and they’re even kind enough to let me bring my bike out for some cycling training in the mornings. Needless to say, I know I’m pretty lucky to have had mum's baking, be able to make the 30, and represent our amazing distillery around the world!
Cheers,
Dr Nick Savage, Master Distiller
