Bladnoch, Scotland’s southernmost distillery, has announced the debut of an immersive theatre experience.
Bladnoch Tasting Notes will bring more than two centuries of whisky-making history to life, transporting guests back in time to follow the story of brothers John and Thomas McClelland, who founded the distillery in 1817.
For nearly a century, successive generations of McClelland family grew and modernised the distillery. At its peak, Bladnoch had an annual production of 230,000 litres of alcohol.
The show leads guests through the distillery’s history, right through to the modern day and Bladnoch’s revival by current owner David Prior, who bought the distillery in 2015.
The story is brought to life by actors Mark Kydd, best known for his roles in Clique and Taggart, and Bladnoch’s global brand ambassador Mark Rannoch, whose credits include the hit TV series, Outlander.
Running from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 September, attendees will have the chance to sample two Lowland single malts from Bladnoch’s portfolio during the show, including Bladnoch Vinaya which pays homage to the McClelland brothers.
There will also be a special tutored tasting of a new expression led by master distiller Nick Savage. Guests will have the opportunity to be the first to try Bladnoch 8 Year Old, the inaugural expression in the distillery’s Double Matured Collection. Each whisky in the collection is matured in two different cask styles one after the other, for a complex flavour profile.
The 8 year old, natural in colour and with an ABV of 46.7%, has been matured in two types of American oak red wine casks, creating a single malt which presents strawberries and cream with herbal pine cones on the nose, strawberry jam, polished oak and nutmeg on the palate, and a very long, sugary and warm finish.
The Double Matured Collection marks a significant milestone for Bladnoch as it features aged whiskies which have fully completed distillation and maturation under the ownership of Prior.
Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 9 August, priced at £25 per guest (ages 18 and over).
Bladnoch sits a mile away from Wigtown, and performances coincide with the first weekend of Wigtown Book Festival, which runs from 27 September – 6 October.
