【Distillery Visit】Bladnoch Distillery: Queen of the Lowland

As names and nature often agree, the title “Queen of the Lowland” perfectly suits Bladnoch Distillery’s elegant charm.

The distillery was acquired by Australian entrepreneur David Prior in 2015, who has since refurbished it with the help of Ian McMillan, a well-respected whisky expert with 40 years of experience. With Nick Savage as their Master Distiller since 2019, Bladnoch Whisky has further elevated its style by offering a range of unique and experimental releases.

In this article, we will present what visitors can expect during a tour of the Bladnoch Distillery.

About Bladnoch Distillery

Queen of the Lowland

Bladnoch Distillery, founded in 1817, is the oldest privately owned Scotch whisky distillery, often referred to as the “Queen of the Lowland” due to its rich history and reputation. Despite changing hands and styles over the course of two centuries, Bladnoch Distillery has remained true to its heritage. Its location in the most southern part of Scotland affords the distillery unique environmental conditions, such as a warmer climate and ample river water resources. These factors have consistently influenced the character of Bladnoch whisky throughout its history.

Today, Bladnoch whisky is widely acknowledged for its embodiment of the classic Lowland-style Scotch single malt.

Its delicate yet refined fruity and floral notes are a testament to the distillery’s unwavering commitment to quality and tradition.

Promotion Video

For a quick overview of the Bladnoch Distillery, check out their promotion video (the link is cited from the Bladnoch Distillery YouTube channel ).

Basic Information

Distillery	Bladnoch Distillery
Founders	David Prior
Location	Bladnoch, Newton Stewart DG8 9AB, United Kingdom
Year of Establishment	1817
Website	Bladnoch Distillery

Access

As the most southern Scotch distillery, Bladnoch Distillery is located in the town of Bladnoch, right next to the River Bladnoch.

Due to its location, it is almost a three-hour car ride from Edinburgh. If you choose to drive from Edinburgh, I strongly suggest not driving straight down. You will regret it, especially if you are not used to Scotland’s roads, since this direct route is extremely bumpy and winding. Going around, passing Glasgow would be a wiser decision as you get well-assembled and wider roads.

Getting there by public transit could be challenging due to limited bus rides, which will require you to transfer 3-4 times, resulting in a total of a 4-5 hour trip from Edinburgh.

Bladnoch Distillery’s Products

Core Range

Bladnoch Distillery has two non-age statement core ranges, Vinaya and Samsara.

Vinaya, meaning respect and gratitude in Sanskrit, is a single malt whisky matured in 1st fill Bourbon and 1st fill Sherry casks.
Samsara, rebirth in Sanskrit, is a single malt whisky made from malts matured in ex-Bourbon and ex-California red wine casks.

For more information, click here.

Distillery tours

Classic Tour & Taste

About	Discover how Bladnoch and Pure Scot Whiskies are crafted first hand with a tour through the key sites of 206 years old distillery. Tour includes a tasting of three of our favourite releases from the Bladnoch and Pure Scot range.
Time Needed	1 hour
Cost	£20 / 14-17 yrs old £10
Open on	Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm
Booking	Walkins are not accepted, make sure to book beforehand from Here

1817 Tour

About	For a more in-depth look through our 206 year old Bladnoch Distillery, join our knowledgeable team for a 2 hour tour and tasting through the estate. This hands-on experience offers visitors the unique opportunity to use the same tools and equipment as our production team to analyse our malted barley, wash and spirit.
Time Needed	2 hours
Cost	£50
Open on	Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm
Booking	Walkins are not accepted, make sure to book beforehand from Here

Distillery Visit

History of the distillery

In 1817, John and Thomas McClelland, brothers from a local farmer family in Bladnoch, were granted a licence to distil whisky and established the Bladnoch Distillery. The McClelland family ran and grew the distillery for almost a century. At its peak, the distillery produced 230,000 litres of alcohol annually, earning the name “Queen of the Lowlands.”

However, in 1905, the McClelland family decided to sell the company due to changes in the law, which made it easier for people to produce whisky at lower prices, making it difficult to compete. As the whisky industry faced additional hardships during the World War I, the number of distilleries in the Lowland region decreased from 40 to 3, and Bladnoch was one of the few that managed to survive. However, due to further pressure during the World War II, Bladnoch Distillery eventually mothballed.

Bladnoch distillery reopened under new ownership in 1956 and changed hands several times until it was purchased by Australian entrepreneur David Prior in 2015. Upon taking over, David immediately began a refurbishment program with the support of Ian McMillan, who was the Master Distiller at that time. With this renovation, Bladnoch Distillerys’ production capacity jumped from 100,000 litres to 1,500,000 litres.

Ian was responsible for the restart of production in 2017 until 2019, when Nick Savage joined the team. 

Water source

Bladnoch Distillery sources its water from the river Bladnoch, right behind the distillery. This location is one of the main reasons this distillery was originally built here 206 years ago.

Milling

Bladnoch Distillery has been using the same exact Boby mill since 1927.

The Boby mill is known for its long-lasting durability, which can easily exceed a century. Robert Boby, the creator of the mill, was highly skilled at his craft. However, his expertise eventually led to the demise of the business, as nobody was renewing or repairing the mill back then. Today, only a few people are capable of maintaining them due to their complexity.

Bladnoch Distillery mill their barley to the ratio of 22% husk, 72% grits, and 6% flour. They keep the grind rough to extract the sugary water quicker since flour could be hygroscopic. This is how their Lowland-style fruity sweetness originates from.

Mashing

Bladnoch Distillery uses a 5-tonne stainless steel semi-lauter mash tun. The mashing process consists of 3 stages, 7 hours in total. In the first stage, they add 5.5 tons of grists and 20,000 litres of water and slowly heat them up to 64°c. This temperature activates the enzymes, breaking the starch into glucose with other sugars. Next, they add 8,700 litres of water and heat them up to 76°c. This will bring out non-fermentable sugars, which will remain in the whisky and make it sweet to the palate. In the third stage, they use 16,500 litres of water and heat it to 90°c. This brings out fat and protein from the grist, which are then fed to animals in nearby farms. 

Fermentation

Bladnoch Distillery uses six Douglas fir washbacks, each with a capacity of 35,000 litres and ferments for 80 hours on average.

While many distilleries today prefer using stainless steel washbacks for their durability and ease of care, Bladnoch Distillery believes that wooden washbacks are essential in producing fruity whisky.

This is because of the secondary fermentation process that occurs after all the yeasts have died out, caused by bacteria living inside the wood. Although this process does not produce more alcohol, it does create extra organic acids, leading to esterification and the creation of aromatic compounds, often referred to as fruity notes in whisky.

Distillation

Bladnoch Distillery has two wash stills, each 12,500 litres capacity, and two spirit stills, each 9,500 litres capacity. The whole distillation process takes about 6 hours. The spirit stills have reflux balls to create more copper contact and are also designed tall to ensure only lighter parts of the spirit go through. This shape of the stills also contributes to smoother and fruitier whisky.

The design of the pot stills have been kept similar to its original shape for a century, but it has been made bigger for increased production capacity.

Empty casks

Outside, you can see a stack of empty casks waiting to be filled. The wet weather is beneficial for the casks as it keeps them soaked, preventing them from splitting.

Additionally, keeping the casks wet helps to maintain the original liquid, such as sherry or bourbon, which are soaked into the wood.

This is better than keeping them dry, which could lead to the liquids evaporating out from the wood.

Maturation

There are ten warehouses at the Bladnoch Distillery, eight and a half of which are filled with whisky. The distillery offers a wide range of casks with a remarkable variety of sizes. The larger casks, with a capacity of up to 1,000, tend to mature slowly due to less wood contact, resulting in a gentle and floral whisky. On the other hand, smaller casks mature faster and create more intense and wood-forward whiskies.

Bladnoch Distillery has been using exceptionally large casks to create their 5 years annual release Waterfall series.

This series has gained international popularity and has a large fan base worldwide.

Bladnoch Distillery also commits to having many types of casks. They use 2 species of European Oak casks and 2 species of American Oak casks mainly, and of course varieties of sherry casks largely used in their core range. On top of that, Bladnoch Distillery also has plenty of Mizunara casks as well.

As you look around the warehouse, you’ll notice black molds on the walls and ceiling.

These are the result of the Angel’s Share – alcohol that evaporates from the casks.

Bladnoch Distillery has an annual Angel’s Share of about 2%, which is pretty standard for a Scotch whisky distillery. Although this percentage may seem small, last year, the Scotch whisky industry lost approximately 50 million bottles worth of whisky due to evaporation.

Tasting

At the end of the amazing tour, Bladnoch Distillery offers a tasting of their main ranges, Vinaya and Samsara, as well as their new make, which is surprisingly fruity and palatable. Although these ranges of products are available for purchase globally, the experience of tasting them in person at the distillery after the tour is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

There’s something magical about being able to witness the production process up close and personal, and then immediately indulge in their creations.

At Last

Bladnoch Distillery’s unwavering dedication to perfecting their craft is truly inspiring. Their pursuit of the delicate Lowland-style flavors is a testament to their commitment to quality and their heritage. They blend traditional and modern approaches to whisky making with skill and precision, always striving for excellence.

As they approach their eighth year since their revival, Bladnoch continues to innovate and create unique, exciting releases that captivate whisky enthusiasts all around the world.

A visit to the distillery is a journey through time, allowing visitors to witness the rich history and meticulous craftsmanship that goes into each and every bottle of Bladnoch whisky, a truly immersive experience for whisky enthusiasts and those interested in Scotch whisky heritage.