Scotland’s Oldest Private Distillery Unveils The Dragon Series, a 5-Whisky Collection That Honors Beauty and Unpredictability
Bladnoch Distillery released The Dragon Series, meant to capture the unpredictability of whisky-making (Photo: Bladnoch)
Scotch whisky producer Bladnoch Distillery, known for its lowland single malts, launched a new collection of five whiskies inspired by the dragon curve in mathematics. The collection ranges from 48.3% to 53.1% ABV. Each bottle is set to sell at a suggested retail price of £110 ($136), Drinks International reported last month.
“The dragon curve demonstrates the science versus nature of predictability, chaos, natural order and beauty,” Master Distiller Dr. Nick Savage said, per Drinks International. “The building of The Dragon Series whiskies really brought this to life in the sample room.”
Savage was appointed master distiller at Bladnoch in 2019 after holding positions at The Macallan, William Grant & Sons and Diageo.
Bladnoch Distillery hosts over 200 years of history and is the oldest privately owned distillery in Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1817 and changed multiple hands throughout the centuries until it was mothballed in 2009, according to The Scotsman. In 2015, David Prior, an Australian businessman, acquired the company and made extensive changes to the property.
Each bottling of The Dragon Series is intended to be a liquid snapshot honoring each pivotal step in the whisky-making process, from field to bottle.
The five whiskies are named The Field, The Spirit, The Casks, The Ageing and The Decision
“These five expressions of the Dragon Series have really evolved to capture the essence of each iteration of our process. It will be fascinating to hear everyone’s personal interpretation and appreciation for our whisky-making.”
The Dragon Series Details and Tasting Notes, Via Bladnoch
The Field
The Field is considered the “origin story” for all Bladnoch whiskies. The spirit was matured in refill Bourbon casks and was bottled at 46.7% ABV.
Tasting Notes: Floral cut grass on the nose, apples and shortbread on the palate with a refreshing finish.
The Spirit
The Spirit was created to capture the first stage of distillery production, taking malted barley all the way through the processes of mashing, fermentation and distillation. It is bottled at 48.3% ABV.
Tasting Notes: An aroma of pear drops, with malted cereal and cracked pepper on the palate. The finish is refreshing and warm.
The Casks
The Casks is an homage to the myriad variables in Bladnoch’s casks, including oak type, charring and seasoning. The Casks clocks in at 49.9% ABV and is a blend of whiskies aged in first-fill American oak Bourbon casks and first-fill Spanish oak Sherry casks.
Tasting Notes: The Casks has an aroma of cinnamon sticks and ginger, with toffee popcorn sweetness on the palate and a long, thick and warm finish.
The Ageing
An ode to the maturation process, The Ageing involves casks that have been chosen from the darkest and coldest portions of Bladnoch’s distillery. This choice was to emphasize temperature and humidity fluctuations and their effects on aging. The Ageing is bottled at 51.1% ABV.
Tasting Notes: The Ageing yields aromas of polished oak and honey with sweet oak and wild blackberries on the palate. The finish is sweet and warm with gentle spice.
The Decision
The fifth and final offering from The Dragon Series, The Decision, is meant to highlight the challenges involving whisky-making in the sample room. The Decision is bottled at 53.1% ABV and is aged in Hungarian Tokaji and Spanish canasta Sherry casks.
Tasting Notes: Aromas include crushed red grapes and coffee. On the palate, The Decision holds flavors of apricots, nutmeg and sweet cream coffee with a thick, lingering finish.
The Dragon Series is available for purchase online via Bladnoch’s website and the facility’s visitor centers in Dumfries and Galloway. International sales will be handled by Bladnoch’s distribution network.
Savage is enthusiastic about the project and looks forward to making more creative choices at the distillery.
“The Dragon Series also gives us great confidence and excitement upon which to build and bring life to more concepts with Bladnoch in the future,” he concluded.
In June 2022, Bladnoch released a 30-year-old single malt whisky, its oldest expression to date.
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