Bladnoch 29 Year Old Bicentennial Release Scotch Whisky
Bladnoch 29 Year Old Bicentennial Release is an 82.4-proof (41.2% ABV), 750mL Lowland single malt Scotch whisky distilled in 1988 and released to mark Bladnoch Distillery's 200th anniversary (1817–2017). Drawn from just two casks — matured in Oloroso sherry, then finished 18 months in Moscatel wine casks — it was limited to 200 individually numbered bottles in a gold-stoppered presentation bottle and box. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 41.2% (82.4 proof) — per the distillery's own launch announcement
- Size: 750mL (US market)
- Age: 29 years; distilled 1988, released 2017/2018
- Origin: Bladnoch Distillery, Scotland's most southerly distillery (Lowlands)
- Casks: Oloroso sherry casks, finished 18 months in Moscatel wine casks
- Rarity: 200 individually numbered bottles; gold stopper; presentation box
Two Casks, Two Hundred Years
When David Prior revived Bladnoch in 2015, the distillery's old stocks became liquid history — and the Bicentennial Release is the crown jewel. Two 1988 casks, three decades in Oloroso sherry wood, a final 18 months in Moscatel: the result is chestnut gold, all old sherry and acacia honey, dark chocolate and fruitcake. Two hundred bottles for two hundred years, each numbered, each in its presentation box. Collectors of rare Scotch whisky know what this is — a once-in-a-distillery-lifetime bottling.
Tasting Notes
Per master distiller Ian Macmillan: chestnut gold in the glass. Nose of rich old sherry, acacia honey, beeswax, orange peel, fruitcake, a whiff of coffee, and a hint of chocolate. Palate of soft, silky sherry, dark chocolate, ginger, spicy citrus, balanced sweet oak, and a hint of ground black pepper. A long, warming honeyed-spice finish.
How to Enjoy
This is a contemplative pour — neat, in a tulip glass, at room temperature, with time. Do not rush it and do not mix it. If you collect milestone world whiskies, this belongs next to your oldest bottles; if you drink it, give it an occasion worthy of 29 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bottles were released?
200 individually numbered bottles, matching Bladnoch's 200 years (1817–2017). Each comes in a glass bottle with a gold stopper in a presentation box.
What casks were used?
The 1988 spirit matured in Oloroso sherry casks, then finished for the final 18 months in Moscatel wine casks.
Why is the ABV 41.2%?
That is the natural cask strength of the two 1988 casks after 29 years — the distillery bottled it as-is per the official launch announcement, not reduced to a round number.
See more Bladnoch releases and our rare Scotch whisky collection. Numbered, boxed, and nearly gone — secure your bottle of Bladnoch 29 Year Bicentennial online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.