Since joining Bladnoch Distillery in 2019, Master Distiller Dr Nick Savage has developed an impressive range of new products for Bladnoch’s award-winning range. 

Now, he is embracing the Waterfall Collection as his most creative project, highlighting the intricate journey of maturity that Bladnoch whisky takes in developing its distinct flavours and character. 

“The Waterfall Collection gives us the opportunity to develop a whisky in a very fluid way that highlights the maturation journey a single whisky can take in five years. Each year we will decide the cask types for the next stage of the waterfall maturation, but only when we fully understand how our whisky has evolved and matured in the previous year. This approach enables us to present the journey of this finite and ever reducing liquid, and showcase how the quality of whisky is assured at Bladnoch, in a way like never before,” said Dr Savage of the project. 

Each release in the Waterfall Collection demonstrates a different way the same aged Bladnoch Single Malt can be matured in oaked casks, resulting in a completely unique taste. 

To cover the five years of releases, sufficient aged Bladnoch Single Malt has been set aside from a combination of sweet ex Bourbon casks and intense Oloroso Sherry casks that are maturing in the archives. 

In this first year, Dr Savage will sample the whisky at the beginning of its maturation journey and in each ensuing year, the remaining liquid will be decanted into a new type of cask for a fresh layer of finishing where the character will develop further.  

After assessing how the whisky has matured and only deciding what the next cask type will be at the end of each year, Dr Savage’s approach to the Waterfall Collection means the final whisky is yet to be defined. 

Dr Savage will unveil only 1,000 bottles for each annual release, with Batch 1 of the Waterfall Collection in limited stock and available exclusively through www.bladnoch.com. 

The remaining bottles will go on sale at the Bladnoch Distillery Visitor Centre. To celebrate the release, Bladnoch have announced a special Waterfall Tour at their state-of-the-art Visitor Centre. 

Tours will include a more in-depth walkthrough of the production site followed by an extended Waterfall tasting beside the casks maturing for the remaining releases. 

Bookings are essential and can be made in advance through www.bladnoch.com/visit-bladnoch/