Appearance: Showing a brilliant old-brass colour courtesy of the bourbon wood and that unique concentration through the ageing process.

Nose: this whisky jumps out of the glass with notes almost reminiscent of a great White Burgundy. Crushed river stones and struck flint alongside golden delicious apple and herbes de provence come across on the nose.

Palate: The palate is gentle as one would expect from the lower ABV but it is oily and viscous with a sensation of scented candle followed by sea salt, delicate earthy peat and a return of that golden delicious apple note.

Finish: Extremely long and gentle with the initial notes of crushed stones mingling with sea salt and stewed orchard fruit.

Founded in 1817, legendary Lowland distillery Bladnoch is one of the oldest distilleries in the country and the oldest operating Lowland distillery since the closure of Littlemill which held both titles.

Situated west of the village of Wigtown in the Gallovidian countryside, Bladnoch has the distinction of being the southernmost distillery in Scotland - closer to Belfast than Edinburgh - and its spirit in some ways bears a semblance to the softer malts of Ireland, though it eschews the triple distillation practiced by its Irish cousins and other Lowland neighbours.

The classic house style of Bladnoch is gentle and combines a fruit-forward malt profile with elements of spice and earth which celebrate a variety of wood types including the classic PX and Oloroso sherries, with a number of exceptional expressions thriving in less intrusive Bourbon wood for those who prefer the character of the distillate to shine more clearly.

A stop-start attempt to reopen the distillery under independent ownership faltered in the early 2010s but in 2017 the stills at last roared back into life and with new packaging and a vision for the future Bladnoch made a strong statement of intent that they were ready to take centre stage as the top player in the Lowlands. In 2019 they took another step in reinstating Bladnoch as a premier single malt when Dr Nick Savage took over as Master Distiller after previously serving in the same post with none-other than The Macallan.

Extremely rare on the cask market, we have secured a number of new make casks filled in 2019 & 2020 into world class bourbon barrels, sherry hogsheads and a very limited number of Oloroso & PX butts. All produced under the stewardship of Dr. Savage offered below £12 IB per bottle they are incredible value and with the future of the Bladnoch brand being rosy as it is, they offer remarkable upside.

This twelve-year-old Highland Single Malt was distilled in 2008 at the Blair Athol Distillery along the banks of the River Tummel. Drawn from a single, undersized 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel previously used by the Koval Distillery, it is a youthful pale golden colour with bright aromatics of red apple and pear as well as fine vanilla and warm baking spices. A generous, well-balanced highlander from one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland dating back to 1798, this is a personal favourite and a fitting first bottling of the Stiùbhart Single Cask Selection. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 58.9% without chill filtration or added colouring.

Blair Athol is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, tracing its foundation back to 1798 when it was originally set up as the Aldour Distillery, in reference to its water source, the Allt Dour - or Burn of the Otter. Located on the outskirts of the Victorian spa town of Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire, Blair Athol, along with neighbouring Edradour are two of the final vestiges of Perthshire's long lost farm distilleries.

In addition to its proud heritage, Blair Athol is also one of the most visually striking distilleries with many of the original buildings as well as an impressive dunnage where the finest casks slumber patiently waiting to be bottled. Only two official bottlings have ever hit the market; the standard, heavily sherried 12 year old and a limited edition 23 which shows the longevity of Blair Athol's spirit.

A key component of the Bell's blend of whiskies, Blair Athol is praised for its fruit-driven style with subtle earthy - not smokey - peat influence courtesy of the ancient moorlands over which its water flows. A mellow malt; the quintessential old highland gentleman, Blair Athol has as much of a bright future as it does a storied past. It is only a matter of time before the reputation of this much loved distillery catches up with the ineffable quality of their whisky.