Bladnoch Dragon Series

Bladnoch Distillery's The Dragon Series is a collection of five single malts, each crafted to highlight the unpredictable nature of whisky-making and the ongoing tension between science and nature. Every release explores a unique variable in the production process. Iteration I, called The Field, is where it all begins. The barley is harvested each year straight from the farmers’ fields, then goes through malting to become the core raw material for the distillery.This release was matured in refill bourbon casks. Iteration II covers the earliest stage of distillery production. Starting with malted barley, the spirit goes through mashing, fermentation, and distillation—each step introducing variables like temperature, gravity, and cut points. It was matured in a mix of first-fill and refill bourbon casks. Iteration III of the Dragon Series delves into another key source of whisky’s variability—cask coopering. This edition highlights how the craft of shaping, preparing, and treating oak can have a profound impact on the character of the final spirit. To showcase this influence, the whisky was matured in a combination of first fill American oak bourbon casks and Spanish oak sherry casks. Iteration VI turns its focus to maturation—the longest, most intricate, and often least understood stage of whisky creation. Once casks are filled with new make spirit, they begin a slow transformation shaped by years—or even decades—of environmental influence. For this edition, Bladnoch selected casks from the darkest, coldest corners of their warehouses to enhance the impact of maturation. The whisky was matured in red wine hogsheads and first-fill bourbon casks. Iteration V of the Dragon Series turns to the sample room—the point where all decisions come together. After years of managing variables across production, maturation, and cask selection, it’s here that the whisky is assessed and shaped for bottling. This release brings together spirit matured in Hungarian Tokaji wine casks and Spanish Canasta sherry casks.