Bruichladdich Regional Trials New Make Aberdeenshire Concerto Barley 68.7%
Farm Location: Turniff (East Aberdeenshire)
Tasted: Sept 2016
The nose is classic Bruichladdich new make with signature notes of hyacinth, acacia and honeysuckle. Quite oily with a little rubbery feintiness and earthy rather than sweet barley. With time there is a touch of smokiness and toasted cereal.
The palate opens quite biscuity and cereally, which again is classic Bruichladdich new make. There’s a lot of alcohol (obviously!) and a touch of rubbery feintiness.
Water removes the floral notes and emphasises the oils, it also brings out a little sweeter barley note and I’m getting some almost fruity esters- pineapple and apricot. The palate is lighter and less biscuity and oily with that sweet-ish estery fruit note found on the nose apparent and coming through on the finish.
Bruichladdich Regional Trials New Make Lothian Concerto Barley 68.9%
Farm Location: Rainsfield (South Lothian)
Tasted: Sept 2016
The nose is a lot less oily than the Aberdeenshire new make with an almost starchy character. The barley notes are sweeter and they are a lot more pronounced. There isn’t as much heavy, oily feintiness and thus it feels cleaner, there are also less floral notes as well. With time hints of cereal, digestive biscuits and malt.
The palate is again lighter in body and less oily with more barley character. Crisper and fresher with an almost salty freshness. The alcohol is better integrated and thus it is less pronounced than in the Aberdeenshire new make.
With water the nose is a little oilier but still nowhere near as oily as the Aberdeenshire new make. There is still plenty of sweet barley and it feels more evolved. Late touch of smoke. The palate mirrors the nose with the finish being a little drier, less cereally and rubbery.
Bruichladdich Regional Trials New Make Black Isle Concerto Barley 68.9%
Farm Location: Near Inverness
Tasted: Sept 2016
This has more sweet barley notes than either of the other two regional new makes. Crystal clean and reminiscent of Glenglassaugh new make with approachable sweetness leading the way. With time a light floral note appears along with a touch of smoke.
The palate is a little oilier than the Lothian barley new make and less expressive. One could argue that at present it doesn’t have a lot going for it bar a bit of barley and a little floral note on the finish. It certainly doesn’t have the strength of character that the Lothian new make has and I would guess that it would be easily swamped by first fill oak.
Water emphasises the sweet barley, if it needed emphasising. It also brings of the hyacinth and honeysuckle and possible a touch of peach. On the palate it has really opened up and it’s gorgeously sweet, barley’d and fruity. No alcohol burn and a pleasure to drink. This new make wouldn’t need to age half as long as the other two.
Bruichladdich Classic Edition 1 46%
Tasted: Oct 2009
Whoa!! What’s going on here? Good grief it’s a fight in a tropical fruiterer’s! This must be without a shadow of a doubt the most fruity expression I have ever nosed. It begins with ‘classic’ apple and honeysuckle and then the Caribbean comes to town with guava, banana, pineapple and kiwi fruit aromas bursting from the glass. The background oak is only just perceptible. The palate opens with some lush honey and then the tropical fruit arrives in waves of toffee’d cinnamon sprinkled exquisiteness, with a garnish of honeysuckle and lavender. The only problem with the palate is that the oak comes crashing through very quickly and stops the fruity fun stone dead.
As this a ‘multi-vintage’ as they like to call these bottling and designed (if that is the right word) to fit a price point a large proportion is relatively young spirit and just isn’t mature enough to stand up to the oak. I think for now I’ll stick to the 12 year old, but if this is indicative of the quality of the spirit being produced (which I know it is) I would love to see this at 10 or 12 years of age.
Bruichladdich ‘Scottish Barley’ 50%
Spirit distilled between 2003-2007
Bourbon/ Tasted: Sept 2013
Quite a shy, fresh and lightly earthy nose with hints of malt and youthful rose petal marc and dusty tannins. There is some embryonic salty, honeysuckle and white fruit but it takes a while to show. With time it becomes sweeter as the honey and barley emerge along with some lightly coffee’d spice. However the overall impression is that there is a lot more younger than older spirit here.
The palate is fairly full and fleshy with some tart citrus, rock salt and lightly oily cereal. The oily cereal and rose petal marc character builds, as does the alcohol! A big, briny, malty and lightly coffee’d middle tails off into quite a dry finish with some lingering chocolate/ malty notes lingering. In conclusion I’d say that some of the usual elegance has been lost in favour of a more malty/ brawny style.
With water the nose is still very youthful and lightly soapy but it does now show a degree of coastal and critic elegance. Less oily and malty with more of the classic green apple and honeysuckle noticeable. The palate is a little vague to begin with but more coastal. Sweeter and more elegant with some sugar coated barley and crystalised orange. Long, salty finish with some lightly oiled rose petal notes appearing at the end. Maybe it should have been bottled at 46%?
Bruichladdich ‘The Classic Laddie’ Scottish Barley 50%
Batch 16/003
A vatting of 84 casks, 4 vintages, 2 barley types and 6 casks
8 casks, 2005, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
8 casks, 2007, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
12 casks, 2008, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 2nd fill Red Bandol hogshead
5 casks, 2008, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 2nd fill Red Cote Rotie barrel
6 casks, 2008, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 2nd fill Red & White Rivesaltes
24 casks, 2008, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
8 casks, 2006, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
5 casks, 2007, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill Pauillac hogshead
4 casks 2007, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
4 casks, 2006, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st Fill Red burgundy hogshead
Tasted: Sept 2016
The nose displays some mature, earthy and malty notes, which mingle with some younger, biscuity notes. A little chunky and maybe lacking a little elegance but the barley and toasted oak come through to add some sweetness. With time the oak becomes quite creamy.
The palate is full and malty with hints of earth, Bovril and treacle. Again chunky and foursquare with barley and subtle oak notes. Hints of salt and wood spice come through on the middle. Long and remaining malty with the coastal notes building to a lovely salty crescendo.
Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie ‘Scottish Barley’ 50%
Batch 17/274
A vatting of 82 casks, 4 vintages, 2 barley types and 5 cask types.
2 casks, 2006, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
4 casks, 2008, Scottish Mainland Organic Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
22 casks, 2009, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
30 casks, 2010, Scottish Mainland Organic Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
1 cask, 2010, Scottish Mainland Organic Barley, 2nd fill Ribera del Duero Hogshead
6 casks, 2010, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill Pomerol Hogshead
6 casks, 2008, Scottish Mainland Barley,2nd fill American Bourbon Barrel
6 casks, 2008, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
5 casks, 2009, Scottish Mainland Organic Barley, 3rd fill Red & White Rivesaltes Hogsheads
Btl: 2017
Tasted: Apr 2018
The nose is malty and barley’d. Quite chunky with hints of honey, grippy tannins and hints of oily spirit and dried fruit. Late hints of sweet berry, earth, salt, bog myrtle and mint.
The palate opens with some subtle malty notes, followed by barley, dried fruit, honey, gritty tannins and citrus. The alcohol is quite intrusive and masks, but the finish is pleasantly malty and spicy.
Diluted the nose is oilier and simpler, but still quite malty and barley’d. The palate is also oilier but sweeter. It seems less cluttered and more barley focused now. Water has also emphasised it’s youth and the finish is a little on the short side.
Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley 50%
Batch 17/347
A vatting of 83 casks, 4 vintages, 2 barley types and 8 casks types
2 casks, 2006, Scottish Mainland Barley, Spanish Sherry Butt (10yrs)/ American Bourbon Barrel (1yr)
4 casks, 2008, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, American Bourbon Barrel (7yr)/ Spanish Sherry Butt (3yrs)
12 casks, 2008, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
4 casks, 2009, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 4th fill Rhone Red Hogshead
3 casks, 2009, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 3rd fill Red & White Rivesaltes
23 casks, 2010, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
1 cask, 2010, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill Rhone Red Hogshead
4 casks, 2010, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill White Juracon Hogshead
5 casks, 2010, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill Pauillac Hogshead
25 casks, 2010, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
Tasted: Dec 2018
The nose is a little raw and cerealy with winey dried fruit and hints of oxidised honeyed apricot, apple and grape. Slightly earthy with straw, waxy orange, vanilla, marzipan, coffee, golden syrup and late fortified wine notes.
The palate opens with barley and vanilla along with hints of redcurrant/ berry and subtle white fruit. Astringent citric and coastal notes follow along with a touch of toffee, dried fruit, earth and salt. Intensely salty and rather austere finish. The combination of alcohol, raw spirit and tannins is pretty drying. Subtle spice and bog myrtle after-taste.
Water makes the nose oilier and more barley/ American oak focused. Still a little raw with sweeter apricot and apple and less overt wine. The palate is oilier and still a bit on the raw side with more toffee apple, sweet malt and sherried notes. Less winey but still quite tannic with the fortified fruit coming through on the middle. Longer now with straw-like barley, citrus and of course the raw spirit and drying tannins.
Bruichladdich ‘The Classic Laddie’ Scottish Barley 50%
Batch 18/330
A vatting of 76 casks, 4 vintages, 3 barley types and 6 cask types
2 casks, 2008, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 2nd fill American Bourbon Barrel
2 casks, 2008, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill Pauillac Hogshead
2 casks, 2009, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel (4yrs), 1st fill Pauillac hogshead (6yrs)
3 casks, 2009, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 2nd fill American Bourbon Barrel
3 casks, 2009, Scottish Mainland Barley, 2nd fill American Bourbon Barrel
3 casks, 2009, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
20 casks 2010, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
5 casks, 2010, Islay Barley, 1st Fill Ribera del Duero hogshead
20 casks, 2011, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
1 cask, 2011, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill Rivesaltes Hogshead
5 casks, 2011, Organic Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill Pessac Leognan Hogshead
10 casks 2011, Scottish Mainland Barley, 1st fill American Bourbon Barrel
Tasted: Apr 2019
The nose is pretty American oak influenced, which isn’t a surprise with plenty of barley, but the barley does have a hard almost industrial edge. Hints of edgy herbal red fruit, straw, late harvested honey, gooseberry, lime, salt, toasty oak and vanilla follow.
The palate is oily and toffee’d with subtle barley, salt and straw-like dried fruit. Again the barley is quite hard and almost industrial. The wine casks bitter a fair amount on the middle and it has a tart mouth-watering, edgy, herbal red fruit character. Finishes with bitter spice and marzipan. To be fair it’s rough at the edges and lacks elegance.
Bruichladdich ‘New Waves’ 46%
Bourbon/ Tasted: Dec 2008
Quiet delicate aromas. Although the peating level is relatively light the aromas are quiet dominant. Behind lurks some youthful coastal fruit, oil, bog myrtle and fisherman’s sowesters. It actually reminds me of Caol Ila with that fresh, garden like herbaceous quality. Over time some ripe apricot, apple and a perfumed top note become apparent.
On the palate it is delicately oily, and more broader than the nose would suggest. Definitely more Laddie in character, opening with slightly creamy apricot and cereal, followed by coastal spray and light herbal-peat. Youthful but with a lovely intensity and piquancy on the middle with a peat smoke and coal dust finish.
Bruichladdich 7 year old ‘Waves’ 46%
Bourbon/ Malmsey Madeira Cask
Tasted: July 2006
Stocks of the 10 year old are now coming to an end as they are reaching the point at which the distillery was almost silent. So this 7 year old made from malt peated to 20ppm represents a three month period when Jim Beam Brands were running the distillery continuously in order to attract a buyer, and for two of those months they were using medium peated malt as opposed to the more usual lightly peated.
The peat is evident on the nose from the word go. Thankfully there is very little influence from the Madeira cask – It just hovers in the background adding a touch of smoke, rich coffee/ toffee fruit and roasted ginger. Quality wise it reminds me of the very young Ardbeg, but judicious use of the Madeira cask has given it an added edge. On the palate, again the peat open the proceedings, which is softer than the nose suggests, slightly medicinal with a whiff of smoke and coastal fruit. Finally the Madeira fruit comes through on the finish. Obviously this is very young, but there is no ‘off the still’ notes and it is crisp and clean with soft peat and an extra dimension given to it by the Madeira cask. Highly recommended!
Bruichladdich ‘Islay Barley’ 2006 (6 year old) 50%
Bourbon/ Dist: 2006 Btl: 2012/ Tasted: Aug 2012
A crisp, yet pungent nose of cereal with a touch of rose petal marc. Delicate and salty with hints of honeysuckle, malt, earth and rich apricot. The aromas have a lovely natural feel to them and with time there is a light peat and farmyardy note.
The palate is lightly oiled with sweet cereal and straw. Nascent honey is intertwined with some white flowers and rose petal notes. Intense and mouth-watering middle with a continuation of the delicate rose petal marc notes. Good length with a dry, salty, slightly peaty finish. Like the nose it has a distinct natural, albeit youthful feel to it.
Bruichladdich ‘Islay Barley – Rockside Farm’ 2007 (6 year old) 50%
Optic Barley/ Bourbon/ Tasted: Sept 2013
Youthful and gristy on the nose with a distinct earthy, herbal, bog myrtle note along with some sweet honey coated barley. Dense but edgy, although not too edgy with hints of manure and loamy peat. It has a lovely, sort of old skool Caol Ila freshness.
Crisp and clean on the palate with green apple, barley and honeysuckle. Freash and briny with a light oiliness and a lovely depth of slightly earthy barley and loamy peat. Very coastal on the middle with the barley becoming pleasantly sweet. Lovely texture and length with the finish slightly masked by the alcohol.
Diluted the nose become quite citric with a light sherberty note and some crunchy honeycomb emerging. Very beguiling and lightly coastal. The palate opens a little watery but it’s still quite elegant wit hints of sweet barley. Very gentle and coastal with a rock pool vegetation like finish. Very enjoyable.
Bruichladdich ‘Islay Barley’ 2009 (6 year old) 50%
Distilled from grain grown in 2008 by Gilbie Mccormick of Claggan, Hunter Jackson at Cruach, Ian Mckerrell of Island and Alastair Torrance from Mulindry farm.
Batch 16/008
Tasted: Nov 2016
A heavy and cereally nose with an almost balsamic note. Hints of grist, malt and honeysuckle appear. It’s a fairly robust and chunky nose, maybe not as aromatic as bottlings from the past with a touch of vanilla and salt.
The palate is full and malty with barley, citrus, salt, vanilla and coffee. Again it has a very natural feel to it and a very salt middle. Long, with honeysuckle and lingering coffee and cereal. It’s less polished than older bottlings, so one wonders if this ‘natural’ character is the new order?
Bruichladdich ‘Islay Barley’ 2010 (6 year old) 50%
Tasted: Apr 2018
Aromas of earthy barley and hints of apple, honeysuckle and coffee-malt. A subtle floral note emerges but it appears that the emphasis is on the earthy tones. Late hints of sweet honey, vanilla and oily spirit notes.
The palate opens with the earthy barley, coffee, malt and hints of apple and apricot. The middle is a little on the dry side but overall the balance is good, although the alcohol masks the finish a little. Subtle, lingering honey, barley and salt.
A drop of water makes the nose more floral and honeyed with hints of Alsace-like white fruit and barley. The palate is now unshackled! Sweeter and more honeyed, generous and juicy with barley, honeysuckle and subtle vanilla. Now it is more classic Laddie. Slightly dry, dusty spice after-taste.
Bruichladdich ‘Islay Barley’ 2011 (6 year old) 50%
Coull, Rockside, Island, Mulindry, Starchmill and Cruach farms.
75% Fresh Bourbon, 24% Second and Third fill ex-sweet white wine casks
Btl: Oct 2018/ Tasted: Feb 2019
The nose is quite reserved, coastal and barley’d with hints of late harvested winey honey and coffee. Straw-like barley, apricot, pear and apple notes follow and the nose fills out well as the American oak comes through. Late earth, malty and grainy dried fruit.
The palate is quite reserved and barley’d with earth, salt and subtle American oak. Hints of coffee, honey, white fruit, apricot and malt come through on the middle along with building coastal notes. Long and lightly oiled with honeysuckle, wood spices and sweet vanilla.
A drop of water sweetens the barley and oak, but also makes the wine cask more obvious. However I don’t believe that the balance is compromised. The palate mirrors the nose. The spirit shows a lovely, classy purity before the wine cask notes come through. Still quite salty on the finish but showing less wood spice.
Bruichladdich 2001 (7 year old) ‘Resurrection’ 46%
Bourbon – Limited Release of 24000 Bottles to celebrate the first distillation by Jim McEwan. Peated to 10ppm.
Tasted: Dec 2008
Crisp, classic, floral aromas of citrus and honey. However it seems to display a greater roundness of character than the pre-Jim era. More polished and succulent. A lovely waft of juicy orange greets the nose and is all set against a delicate, earthy-peat and coastal background.
The palate follows the nose, with a gloriously polished depth of crisp, honeyed barley, malt, honeysuckle, apples and yet more honey. There’s some joyful, crumbly peat, cinnamon and dried spices on the mid palate it finishes with a coastal flourish.
Bruichladdich ‘The Laddie Eight’ 50%
Travel Retail/ Tasted: July 2016
Vibrant and lightly floral nose with hints of cereal, rose petals, boiled sweets and coffee laced peat. Darkens with time as malt and treacle appears. Late hints of earth/ dunnage and salt.
The palate opens with soft, crumbly coffee’d peat, vanilla and barley. Like the nose it darkens as the treacle, malt and tar comes through on the middle. Subtly coastal with a lovely degree of peat. Seriously long and treacly with malt, boiled sweets, manure, rose petals and salt. Conclusion: Now, that is an impressive finish! Robust, malty and full of character.
Bruichladdich 10 Year Old 46%
60% American Oak/40% Refill Sherry
Tasted: May 2003
An assertive, youthful, flowery nose of biscuit, honeysuckle, green apples, pear and oak, with a hint of salt.
On the palate it is a straightforward toasty malt, succulent with fresh citrus, tangerine and orange flavours and a fresh finish.
Bruichladdich ‘The Laddie’ 10 year old 46%
Bourbon/ Sherry
Tasted: Dec 2011
The nose is bursting with juicy fruit, sweet barley and some beautiful, shimmering coastal notes and a soupcon of peat. Very full and malty with some balanced, clean, sherry notes. Much fuller than the old 10 year old and less floral but lovely nevertheless.
Soft and full on the palate. A beautiful melding of bourbon and sherry casks. Like the nose suggests it’s quite full with a slightly molassed dried fruit character along with hints of malt, cereal, light peat and a touch of honey. The middle is quite piquant, and accented by the gentle saltiness. Good length with the oak slightly bittering out the finish (adding some dark chocolate notes) but some beautiful liquid honey coated tropical banana tries to counter that, and just about succeeds.
Bruichladdich ‘The Laddie’ 10 year old 46%
(Tescos card tube bottling)
Bourbon/ Tasted: Jan 2013
Aromas of sweet coastal fruit and a huge hit of cardboard! Hmm. This spirit hasn’t been matured in good wood! Quite muted with a touch of brine, ozone and light earthy-peat.
The palate is also quite cardboardy with a touch of peat, liquorice and treacle. Not much in the way of fruit or character to be honest with a bitter, acerbic finish. Maybe this was just a bad batch, rather than an exercise in disposing of less than perfect spirit.
Bruichladdich 10 year old (Second Edition) 50%
Tasted: Dec 2016
A full and malty nose with a touch of dried fruit, apricot, apple and honeysuckle. Closer in style to the current ‘classic’ than laddie of old. However there is a lovely hint of tangerine, vanilla, salt and sugar coated barley.
Full and malty with hints of baked apple, apricot, barley and crisp citrus. Very salty middle with a touch of wood spice. Again along the lines of the NAS ‘Classic’ but with more elegance. Continuing salty through the finish with lingering baked fruit, vanilla, wood spice and salt.
Bruichladdich 12 year old 46%
Bourbon/ Tasted: July 2006
Ah, I love this nose. Classic Bourbon oaked young Laddie! With those familiar aromas of honeysuckle, green apples and coastal notes. There is a touch more complexity that the old 10 year old. It develops a lovely creamy vanilla and light toffee notes along with a touch of orange/ tangerine fruits.
Dry on the palate, initially quite salty with the honeysuckle and vanilla fruit laced with a delicate spice. Softer and a bit more rounded than with less of the ‘Sauvignon-esque’ character of the 10 year old, and much more spicier, but it retains the lovely crisp nature which makes it such a good aperitif whisky.
Bruichladdich 15 Year Old 46%
85% American Oak/15% First Fill Oloroso Cask
Tasted Feb 2003
A very complex nose. Initially it is quite fruity and biscuity with hints of the sea and smoke. After awhile it opens up beautifully, to display stunning aromas of flowers, oily fudge, crème caramel and sherry.
Initially it is quite sweet on the palate, with lots of fruit and digestive biscuits followed by an intense salty mid palate which fades into a smooth tropical fruit and butterscotch finish.
Bruichladdich 15 year old Second Edition 46%
Ex Bourbon cask, which has spent a further 25 weeks finishing in ex Chateau Yquem casks.
Tasted: Dec 2005
Lovely maturing aromas of floral, earthy, apricot, apple, crème brulee, vanilla and a delicate toffee digestive, sweet note along with orange blossom and a touch of salinity.
Off-dry on the palate with a lovely balance and complexity. Delicate with soft apricot, apple, orange spice and creamy oak, drifting into a lightly peated, smoke and coastal fruit finish, leaving a delicate sweetness and just a suggestion of the Sauternes cask. Lovely mouth feel and very long.
Bruichladdich 16 year old ‘Chateau Yquem Finish’46%
Tasted: Dec 2008
Whoa! Is this really Laddie? The aromas are more akin to an old Glenrothes, full of rich, mature honey, old leather armchairs and dusty libraries. In fact it’s immensely honeyed, as my notes say honey to die for. A late touch of rich, orange fruit attempts to add a layer of complexity.
The palate is luxurious and pretty much like the palate, although a greater degree of distillery character is discernable. A lovely sliver of crisp barley keeps it from being overly sweet and flabby. Lovely depth of … er… mature honey! Finishes with that distinctive coastal conclusion.
Bruichladdich 16 year old ‘Chateau Lafleur Finish’ 46%
Tasted: Dec 2008
Stylishly sweet on the nose with strawberries, redcurrants and a hint of peat. These chunky yet subtle aromas float over a bedrock of rich, honeyed, mature, coastal Laddie. The impression is that it is older than 16 years.
The palate opens with red wine notes, yet they are well integrated with the crisp, salty honey and spices. Delicate and not as expansive as the nose and where the nose gave an impression of age the palate is quiet youthful. Lovely length with a soft spicy finish.
Bruichladdich 16 year old ‘Chateau Haut Brion’ Finish 46%
Tasted: Dec 2008
Subtle to the point of non-existence. There’s a suggestion of spicy red cherries but the mature Laddie aromas are in the ascendancy.
The palate is like the nose, subtle and unforgivingly tannic. The tannins come crashing down like a portcullis and that’s about it, well apart from the slight hessian note on the finish.
Bruichladdich 16 year old ‘Chateau Lafite Finish’ 46%
Tasted: Dec 2008
Initially the very subtle wine cask notes are evident with some strawberry and redcurrant with a soupcon of dry spices. This is followed by the wonderfully mature honey and barley with a dusting of vanilla.
The palate opens with a subtle, playful hint of rose oil and petals with a slight gristy cereal note. The drying tannins come in quiet forcibly but this time they are balanced to perfection the onrushing tidal wave of spice red fruits. The length is superb and the delightful mature honey flavours return to caress the tongue and exit with the usual coastal conclusion.
Bruichladdich 16 year old ‘Chateau Margaux Finish’46%
Tasted: Dec 2008
This must be the best red wine finish I have ever tasted. Pretty much perfection. It’s aromatic and feminine aromas stoke the senses like a silk glove! Perfumed aromas of cherries and pomegranates rise from the glass, deftly floating over the base of mature ‘Laddie. A truly magical blend of cask and spirit.
The palate is a mirror of the nose. Feminine, succulent and full of pure maraschino cherries, strawberries, which float delightful upon a wave of coastal, biscuity rich ‘Laddie. The integration is stunning, as is the length.
Bruichladdich 16 year old ‘Chateau Latour Finish’ 46%
Tasted: Dec 2008
Subtle, yet possibly not as subtle as the Haut Brion finish. Probably the creamiest nose of all the finishes but one is left a bit underwhelmed.
Very earthy on the palate with hard red fruits and hints of sweet strawberries. Like the Haut Brion it is very tannic and drying yet it does have a bit of a coastal length and a spicy, piquant finish.
Bruichladdich ‘The Laddie’ 16 year old 46%
Bourbon/ Tasted: July 2013
A shimmering and evocative nose of lightly honeyed barley, apricot, sea spray and malt with hints of menthol, honeysuckle and creamy American oak. Wonderfully fresh with a touch of pineapple, melon and white grape. With time a lightly oiled marzipan note appears.
The palate is gentle and soft, opening with the lightly sweetened barley, apricot and malt. Bracingly coastal with some sturdy, maturing American oak and honey. Very fruity on the middle with the mature apricot being joined by spiced banana, melon, toffee and pepper. Very long, intensely salty finish, which along with the alcohol and a touch of wood tannins makes it quite dry.
Bruichladdich 17 Year Old 46%
100% American Oak/ Tasted Dec 2003
Wow, what a nose. Where to start describing it. It is extremely complex with aromas of sweet cereals, vanilla, green apples, pear and grapes, a hint of spice and a mere whiff of the sea.
The palate again begins with lots of super smooth, sweet malty flavours, then the fruits evolve on the tongue with a wonderful freshness all wrapped up in a pure, oily, maple syrup sweetness. Yet it never becomes cloying due to the impeccably balanced acidity
Bruichladdich 17 year old Rum Finish 46%
Tasted: Nov 2009
A big, sweet, honeyed nose, which reminds me of the Springbank rum wood. Quiet earthy with a touch of fishy-coastalness. A hint of peat attempts to break through the complexity of honey aromas – acacia, lehua and orange blossom and gentle crumbly spices.
The palate has a lovely, light oily texture. Gently tropical with apricot and honeysuckle. The finishing cask is less conspicuous and adds a beguiling sweetness to the banana, citrus fruit and allows the crisp, coastal character to assert itself. The finish is particularly coastal with hints of peat, coffee and fish oils, but still the rum cask notes linger as does the lovely mature honey. Superb stuff!
Bruichladdich 1992 (17 year old) Fino Sherry finish 46%
Aged for 15 years in American oak and finished for 2 years in Fino casks from Bodegas Fernando de Castilla.
Tasted: Nov 2009
Well this is all about the fino sherry cask to begin with. Buckets of grapey, salty green nuts, followed by a slightly dunnagey/ maurey note. The spirit attempts to assert itself but it is fighting a loosing battle here. Some lovely mature honey and coastal, fishy notes eventually break through.
The palate mirrors the nose. Opening with the grapey, woody, green nut and pure unbuttered cashew nut flavours. The tannins and alcohol dries out the middle and finish, as does the salt, and there is a lot of salt! Like the nose the spirit really doesn’t have a hope.
Bruichladdich 1992 (17 year old) Pedro Ximinez Sherry finish 46%
Aged for 15 years in American oak and finished for 2 years in Pedro Ximinez casks from Bodegas Fernando de Castilla.
Tasted: Nov 2009
A deep, leafy nose of molasses and treacle with hints of hickory, earth and blood orange. Seems more peated than the Fino finished. Again it’s all about the PX cask, but like the Fino some fishy notes break through the thick layer of sherry.
The palate follows a predictable course – grape – hickory – honey – tannins, which really dries it out. The rampaging sweetness is nicely held in check by the coastal fishiness, but my god it’s a real battle, and eventually the finishing cask holds sway.
Bruichladdich 1998 (10 year old) Manzanilla cask 46%
Manzanilla/ Dist: 1998 Btl: 2008/ Tasted: 2003 (from cask)
This was one of five special casks which the whisky had been decanted into on 14 March 2000 from Bourbon casks. The nose was very rich and very intense with a dry nutty sharpness and plenty of sherried fruit aromas.
The palate was fruity and tangy. Very intense on the middle. The trademark biscuit, fudge and vanilla flavours are conspicuous with an added sherry complexity.
Bruichladdich 18 year old 46%
Bourbon/ Willi Opitz Zweigelt Pinot Noir Trockenbeerenauslese
Tasted: Nov 2007
Ah ha! Another Laddie for the girls I think! After the relative success of the ‘flirtation’ the guys have decided once more to ‘pull the birds’ – so to speak!!! The nose takes awhile to get going and as you would expect it is very sweet. I think I can just detect some floral spirit beneath the rich spicy apricot, peach, toffee and vanilla.
The palate is much like the nose, very sweet and almost a like a liqueur with the tangy coastal spirit just about making an appearance in the end. In fairness this whisky is definitely not aimed at me and for what it is, it is very good.
Bruichladdich Black Art 1989 (19 year old)
Matured in American oak and a variety of wine casks. Only 6000 bottles world wide.
Tasted: Oct 2009
‘The dark alchemy of Bruichladdich’ – It says on the tin. And what a tin. I love it! – Ok I’m a bit of a sucker for all things gothic as you probably well know! So is it all for show? Is it a case of aprons and funny handshakes and no trousers? Well, let’s see shall we!
Incredibly earthy and winey aromas greet the nose. There are spicy red fruits by the crucible full here with quite a sugary sheen to them. However some stinky/ manurey peat and hickory keeps it on the straight path. This is amazingly complex. Did I say it was spicy, it is! And they buzz around like a swarm of conjured homunculi (?). Underneath all this thick, viscous, winey alchemy is some wonderfully mature honeyed fruit, but the wine fights back with an amazing pure strawberry jam note, but hang on back comes the fishy coastalness! Oooh I could sniff this all night and I still wouldn’t get to the bottom of it!
The palate displays a lovely purity of spicy raspberry and pomegranate fruit, pepper, sherry wood and fishy peat before the alcohol wades in and that’s about it. I think this definitely needs a drop of water. I hope it weaves some magic!
And what theurgy does a splash of water bring? On the nose it conjures up a magical, beguiling liquid orange and mature honey note as the wine casks are banished to the background. It could pass for a rich Spey now! On the palate it accentuates (if possible) the glittering purity of the red fruits, so pure that you can almost taste the pips! However the downside is that the palate has become rather one-dimensional, short and a bit too sugary-sweet.
I had to re-taste this several times because after the magnificence of the nose the palate was to be honest a disappointment. I thought maybe I wasn’t getting it, or that my palate had become jaded, but each time I came to the same conclusion, and to be honest at £80, there are other whiskies that I would be happier to recommend.
Bruichladdich 20 year old 46%
Bourbon
Tasted: May 2003
The quintessential laddie nose. Amazingly windswept and coastal with a gentle mellowness of soft appley fruits, spice and vanilla oak.
The palate has a lovely oily, malty mouth feel with a beautiful depth of mature fruit, oak and salt. For all its mellowness it is quite powerful and assertive, with a mature floral/ blossom note on the finish
Bruichladdich 20 year old Second Edition ‘Flirtation’ 46%
Bourbon/ Mourvedre
Tasted: Oct 2004
A clean quite perfumed nose. Lashings of creamy Bourbon oak, cereals, mature wood, dunnage floors and mature fruit rise from the glass, with an additional spicy/ winey note.
Dry on the palette. Initially the most noticeable aspect is the slight winey sweetness of the mourvedre casks, followed by a tangy complexity of mature fruit, oak and earth. Then out of nowhere comes this incredible burst of tandoori/ asaian spice spices, finishing with waves of sweet vanilla, smoke, earth and a touch of peat. The finish is incredibly long. Laddie goes to Bombay!
Bruichladdich 20 year old Third Edition 46%
Bourbon/ Madeira
Tasted: June 2006
Clean, obviously mature aromas from the rich Madeira cask greet the nose – sweet dried fruit, then the coastal freshness of the laddie just below the surface emerges with crisp honeysuckle and clean bourbon oak notes.
Very soft on the palate, juicy and sexy with dried fruit, figs, California raisins and spiced fruitcake. Oily and weighty with some wood tannins gripping, Finally the coastal fruit and malt just about comes through and definitely lingers with hints of herbs, coffee and gingerbread. The Madeira cask has definitely added weight but thankfully not swamped the spirit.
Bruichladdich 21 year old (Second Release) 46%
Oloroso Sherry
Tasted: Sept 2008
Welcome back old friend it has been awhile. This is a big rich sherry monster and it would appear that an odd rouge sulphurous cask has slipped in here. The nose is rich and sherried with velvety orange and apricot fruit, raisins, nuts and dried fig aromas. The spirit struggles to break through and briefly pokes it’s smoky/ bog myrtley/ coastaly head above the parapet before being once again swamped by rich toffee and pure Colombian and chocolate notes. The complexity is exceptional.
The palate is super smooth and soft, like the nose there is a huge amount of sherry wood and tannins. Quiet heavily peated for such an old laddie and it is well into the mid-palate that the distillery character of toffee apple, crumbly spice, bog myrtle and medicinal peat begins to assert itself. The sherry sweetness returns on the finish, but this sweetness is marvellously kept in check by its rampant salinity. All in all an excellent expression, just slightly flawed, but with a palate like this that can be forgiven!
Bruichladdich 21 year old ‘Cuvee 640 Eroica’ 46%
Bourbon/ Limousin Casks
Tasted: Dec 2012
Beautifully soft and warm aromas of mature laddie – pear and baked apple with hints of spice, earth along with a gentle balsamic/ note. A gentle waft of Cognac rancio can be detected along with dried fruit, chocolate, black coffee and tight oak tannins. Very complex, gently coastal with hints of orange, liquorice and green apple.
The palate is soft and gently honeyed with lashings of mature spices, baked apple, liquorice and sugared almond. Its coastal character gives it a lovely fresh edge as does some green citrus notes. The oak does attempt to dry the palate but it is beautifully countered by the seductive honey and Cognac dried fruits/ walnuts. That coastal note returns on the finish to give a lightly mouth-watering finale. A truly magnificent bottling with the finishing casks accenting the mature laddie.
Bruichladdich 21 year old ‘Cuvee 407 La Noche Bocca Arriba’ 46%
Bourbon/ Pedro Ximenez
Tasted: Dec 2012
Big, enticing aromas of luscious PX dried fruit – sultana, raisin, prune and dark chocolate. Quite earthy and although it has a huge grape presence the mature spirit can be discerned and all that crystallised molasses/ dark toffee sweetness is balanced by a lovely coastal freshness. Very complex with a late hint of dark cherry and orange rind.
The palate is full, as expected with a serious, juicy, yet delicate molasses sweetness. Raisin, prune, citrus, barley and huge gobs of 90% cocoa chocolate mingle with the salty citrus notes. Very intense and succulently smooth but that saltiness keeps the balance. The oak adds a fleeting chocolaty bitterness as those tannins are all wrapped up in some glorious dark honey which is resolutely coating the mouth. Very, very long with the spirit finally having a say adding some toffee’d baked apple notes. Superb stuff.
Bruichladdich ‘The Laddie’ 22 year old 46%
Bourbon/ Tasted: Nov 2012
A beautifully deep and mature nose of macerated bruised apple, barley, honey and malt accented by gentle honeysuckle and saline notes. Wonderfully balanced with just the right amount of sawdusty oak, mature wood spices and light treacle/molasses. With time it becomes quite floral and evocative with hints of orange, tangerine, guava and pineapple mingling with light smoke, fish and a touch of pine resin. All the time that lovely oak supports. Stunning!
A beautifully mature palate – classic laddie! Gentle, elegant opening with malt, barley and a light wood spice note. Bruised apple, mature apricot, pear follows along with a building salinity which bursts on to the middle with a gentle piquancy. The sugars arrive with some gently creamy mature oak but the salinity is hanging in there, leading to a slat encrusted finish. Phenomenally complex and long… and the after-taste…………. Is………. Heaven….. Welcome back old friend, you have been missed!
Bruichladdich 1984 Vintage 46%
Dist 1984 Btl: 2002/ Tasted Dec 2003
The nose bears a resemblance to the 17 year old with the addition of nutty dried fruit aromas, and hints of cream and vanilla oak.
The palate is fresh, clean and fruity, similar to the 17 year old, but with greater depth and a slightly spicy character. The finish is very good with hints of light toffee and sherry wood on the finish.
Bruichladdich 1984 (22 year old) ‘Redder Stills’ 50.4%
Bourbon/ Chateau Lafleur Pomerol Cask
Tasted: June 2006
There is very little of the wine cask evident on the nose, just a slight suggestion of herby black/red currants. What is more evident is its smokiness along with bitter chocolate, coffee, ginger bread, cinnamon and clove notes.
On the palate it is very sweet with the winey flavours initially pounding the taste buds with plumy black/red fruits, some strawberry conserve. The middle is quiet spicy with clove, cinnamon, ginger and a hint of pepper. The finish is long and fruity, obviously winey with some tannin at the very end. If you loved the previous ‘Blacker Still’ you will love this!
Bruichladdich 1984 (23 year old) ‘Golder Still’ 51%
Bourbon Squat Hogsheads
Dist: 1984 Btl: 2007/ Tasted: Oct 2012
The nose has plenty of sweet American oak as expected, with more than a nod towards Kentucky. Although the oak is very much the dominating factor there are hints of very soft, mature, floral spirit and brine lapping at the edges.
The palate is soft and maybe not showing quite as much oak as the nose, but it’s still there! And very creamy too. Now some lovely soft honey comes through with a touch of brine and light earthy notes. Pleasantly piquant on the middle which cleanses the palate and leads to a crisp apple and spice finish with just a touch of bittering oak.
Bruichladdich Black Arts 4 1990 (23 year old) 49.2%
Bourbon/ Finished in a variety of wine casks.
Tasted: Sept 2013
The nose opens with a big hit of salty, herbal, Oloroso notes with plenty of coffee’d tannins, a little Sauternes-esque honey and sawdusty American oak. Beautifully balanced as the American oak notes begin to dominate. But, like I said it is wonderfully balanced by the winey red fruits, plums, Satsuma, light treacle and with time hints of earth, salt, creosote along with some violet and white flowers. Wow this is just so sawdusty! It almost has me in mind of an old Glent Grant. All the winey notes are just a gossamer veil over the mature American oak aged ‘Laddie.
The palate is soft and quite winey to begin with, showing red fruit, plum, raspberry and prune along with a touch of dark toffee, treacle, malt an dark chocolate. The herbal Oloroso notes build pleasantly bringing some coffee’d tannins too. This is followed by bucketful’s of salt, mature honey and lightly sawdusty oak. Sublimely silky with hints of tar, midnight violets, walnuts, chocolate and sweet spices. The tannins begin to encroach and dry but the sweet treacle/ honey axis holds and offsets. Lovely length with the malt and honey notes becoming quite nutty and lingering. Stunning stuff and probably the biggest surprise of the year.
Bruichladdich DNA3 1985 (25 year old) 50.1
Sherry
Dist: 1985 Btl: 2011
The nose opens with the rich, slightly woody, nutty, mature sherry. Given its age the sherry aromas have a beautiful delicacy to it, giving way to a huge citrus coastal hit along with citrus, the sherry hangs on in there adding walnut, molasses/ treacle. It’s a magical combination of sea air, delicate floral honeysuckle spirit and wood. With time a hint of dunnage floors, peat, loam and touch of fishiness appears.
The palate is soft and dry, opening with sweet liquorice toned mature sherry, nuts and dried fruit, shot through with an intensity of mouth-watering alcohol and salinity. Beautifully balanced and exceptionally long. An amazing mouthful of baked apples, almond, cinnamon, dark chocolate/ toffee, macerated orange along with a touch of peat and earth. Stunning length and ethereal like finish.
Bruichladdich 1973 (30 Year Old)
65% American Oak, 35% Refill Sherry.
A lovely, mellow, sherry tinged aromas with that classic, complex, Bruichladdich signature of vanilla sweetness and a touch of briny sea air.
Initially the quality, mellow oak engulfs the palate, leaving a complex array of flavours on the tongue, sweet gingerbread, almond cake, stewed pears, honey glazed marmalade oranges, and finishes with a very long quiet warmth that denotes its elegant maturity.
Bruichladdich Rare Cask Series Sherry: The Magnificent Seven 1986 (30 year old) 44.6%
A vatting of the last 7 casks from 1986
26 years in Oloroso Butts, re-casked in 2012 (4 years) in First Fill Pedro Ximinez Butts from Bodegas Fernando de Castilla
Dist: 1986 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2018
The nose displays plenty of grapey, pruney, winey Pedro Ximinex, followed by raisin, sultana, fig and dark syrup. Late hints of tobacco, dates, walnuts and more Pedro Ximinex wineness!
The palate opens with the Oloroso dried fruit, orange conserve, coffee, raisin, prune, sweet treacle and salt. The sweet, thick Pedro Ximinex comes through on the middle, along with a touch of tobacco and cigar ash. Thankfully the citrus and rock salt kicks in on the finish to add some light and balance to the sweetness, although it is still almost liqueur-like in its consistency.
Bruichladdich 1970 (32 year old) 44.2%
100% American Oak
Tasted Dec 2003
The nose displays its obvious maturity with a complex melange of mellow, earthy aromas, butterscotch, orange, peach and apricot mingled with a hint of the sea air.
On the tongue it is truly magnificent. Soft, smooth and silky on the palate. This whisky is so elegant and refined. The balance between the creamy oak and the nutty fruit is sublime.
Bruichladdich Rare Cask Series Bourbon: All In 1984 (32 year old) 43.7%
A vatting of the last 12 casks from 1984
24 years in Refill Bourbon Hogsheads and Barrels, re-casked in 2008 (9 years) in First Fill Bourbon Barrels
Dist: 1984 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2018
A simply stunning nose! Elegant aromas of baked apple, honeysuckle, barley and sawdusty oak. Very malty and full with the first fill Bourbon Barrels adding a subtle creaminess. Hints of muscavdo sugar, ginger, salt and grapefruit.
The palate is full and malty, opening with luscious honey coated baked fruit, ginger, salt and citrus. It displays a sensual, mellow intensity with a sublime blend of mature duty oak and toasty oak notes. Long and coffee’d with the toasty notes coming through and finishing with hints of baked apple, vanilla, orange and a touch of raisinated fruit and salt. A truly majestic dram!
Bruichladdich Rare Cask Series Bourbon: Hidden Glory 1985 (32 year old) 48.7%
A vatting of the last 22 casks from 1985
27 years in Third Fill Bourbon Hogsheads and Barrels, re-casked in 2012 (5 years) in First Fill Bourbon Barrels and finished in 2017 for 3 months in ex-Claret casks
Dist: 1985 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2018
The nose opens with a subtle red winey fruit note, followed by coffee and dark chocolate. Hints of orange, vanilla, baked apple, malt, pecan, walnut, marzipan, salt, vanilla and rock salt rise from the glass. An ethereal and stunning nose!
The palate is full and malty with a lovely mature baked apple note mingling with some sexy, juicy redcurrant/ cherry. The palate slowly unwinds to show honey, marzipan, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and subtle toffee. There’s a lovely citrus burst on the middle and the finish is exceptionally long, with earth, peat smoke, dark honey, gritty coffee’d tannins, sandalwood and toffee. Stunning stuff!
Bruichladdich ‘Legacy Series 1’ 1966 (36 year old) 40.6%
100% American Oak/ Tasted Dec 2003
Initially it displays an elegant mellow, aged oak aromas. This opens into quite a floral/perfumed nose of violets, honeysuckle, honeyed melon, apricots, soft ripe peach and crème caramel.
The palate is incredibly complex, initial flavours of mature oak give way to an ethereal, balanced fruity middle with mature, dried fruit, nuts and crème caramel flavours. The balance between the flavours is remarkable. A Delicious combination of sweet fruit, subtle oak and sea air, with an almost endless finish.
Bruichladdich ‘Legacy Series 2’ 37 Year Old 41.8%
50% American Oak, 50% Refill Sherry.
Tasted: Oct 2003
Luscious, silky, mellow fruit exudes from the glass.
Sublime in the mouth, full of Amontillado laced oak, dried tropical fruit, a dash of vanilla, hints of glorious coconut milk, brandy butter, marshmallows and a tingle of lively lemon and Islay air have melded together beautifully to offer an extraordinary dram.
Bruichladdich 40 year old 43.1%
Btl; 2004
Bourbon Oak
The nose is stunning, rich, very complex, ephemeral and floral. Apricot, digestive biscuits and rich creamy butterscotch aromas dominate, with a touch of light oil and sea air.
The palate is incredibly complex, soft and full with an ethereal balance. Honeyed apricots seeped in a harmonious, slightly smoky Islay liquor. The finish is absolutely delicious, very long, very smooth and very pure
Bruichladdich Organic 2003 ‘Anns An T-Seann Doigh’ 46%
Tasted: Oct 2009
Powerful, youthful aromas of briny and fish with a hint of Bowmore-esque parma violets. The sweetness of the apple, pear, tropical banana and fleshy apricot builds pleasantly and a floral suggestion and light spice note can be detected. The oak begins to assert itself with a beautifully toasted crème caramel character.
On the palate it is crisp, lightly briny and fishy with cod liver oil, followed by gentle tropical fruit and youthful cereal/ barley, which has a lovely honeyed sheen. The alcohol and coastal intensity kicks in on the finish to leave a salt encrusted tropical finale. This is definitely more ‘old skool’ than the ‘Classic’ and I would love to see this at 10 years of age.
Bruichladdich ‘The Organic’ 46%
Barley grown on Mid Coul, Coulmore, & Mains of Tullibardine farms.
Tasted: Mar 2011
Very coastal and slightly phenolic aromas. Quite floral and becoming rather perfumed with time – hyacinth and honeysuckle with some crisp, brittle honey and barley. Lovely depth to the nose with the brininess swirling around a lovely malty/ honeyed core.
The palate is soft, gentle and rounded. A lot more youthful than one would have expected given the nose. Quite coastal with plenty of youthful cereal and hints of honeysuckle and perfumed white flowers. Not as deep and fruity as the 2003 bottling, but with a bracing fresh salinity. It does have some depth and the malty/ honey notes definitely linger. Good length with hints of rose water and pepper in the finish.
It’s good but the palate doesn’t have the depth that the nose promises and personally I would have continued to release it as a vintage rather than as a multi-vintage bottling.
Bruichladdich Links No Age Statement ‘Saint Andrews Swilcan Bridge’ 46%
Tasted: Oct 2005
A very youthful and immature nose. Crisp fruit and smoke mingle with American oak and some almost re-fill sherry notes, but its feels far too young and a touch dirty/ animally.
The palate is at best earthy, at worst dirty with no real fruit. Immature and vapid, definitely a disappointment
Bruichladdich Links 14 year old ’16th Hole Augusta’ 46%
100% Refill Sherry
Tasted: May 2004
Limited to 18,000 bottles world wide it is a lovely, fresh, crisp, floral nose similar to the 10 year old with the addition of a subtle sherry background. Unmistakably Laddie with honeysuckle, apples, pear, salt and a whiff of creamy bourbon.
First up on the palate is the subtle sherry fruit, then that saline Laddie freshness, citrus, oil, bourbon and lashings of spice. Tangy and long with hints of digestives, finishing with a salty flourish.
Bruichladdich Links 14 year old ‘Royal Liverpool Hoylake’ 46%
Bourbon/ Rivesaltes (Grenache)
Tasted: July 2006
The latest bottling in the links series is a stunner! It has a wonderfully complex nose. The vanilla oaked Laddie is wrapped in a delicate blanket of dried fruit, light coffee and spice. It has a lovely balance with no component over powering the other. Quite creamy with coastal notes wafting in.
Soft and smooth on the palate, again a superb balance between the vanilla oaked Laddie and the Rivesaltes finish. Superb complexity with oodles of spicy, delicate, dried orange fruit, fudge and dates. All the flavours are well integrated and it finishes with lashings of coastal notes.
Bruichladdich Links 14 year old ‘Carnoustie’ 46%
Bourbon/ Chateau Haut-Brion
Tasted: Nov 2007
A pleasant, crisp, classic Laddie nose of honeysuckle, green apples and costal notes along with a touch of cereal. There is very little of the wine cask evident on the nose, just a slight suggestion of herby red fruits and ginger spice.
The palate pretty much mirrors the nose. The finish is very subtle and almost unnoticeable as the waves of costal fruit crash into the mid palate. Nice length with the coastal fruits gently ebbing away.
Bruichladdich Links 15 year old ‘Birkdale’ 46%
Bourbon Oak
Tasted June 2008
Another wonderful, unfettered expression! My favourite! It has that classic ‘laddie nose of honeysuckle, green apples and lashings of coastal notes. It has a lovely depth of fruit, slightly tropical and buttery.
The palate is crisp and briny. Fleshy with honeysuckle, green apples, a slight spice and floral note. Lovely length with a touch more maturity than the 12 year old and a pure sea salt finish.
Bruichladdich Links 15 year old ‘St Andrews’ 46%
Bourbon/ Madiera(?)
Tasted: Oct 2008
A very winey (Madeira?) nose with honey, apricot, butterscotch and shortbread biscuit notes which definitely says Madeira finish to me! There is a barely discernible coastal character somewhere beneath all that butter.
The palate is pretty much like the nose. Good length if a bit one dimensional. Actually it’s all cask and alcohol really!
Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2008 (9 year old) 50%
Ex-Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey casks
Tasted: Sept 2019
Heavy cereal/ barley aromas with porridge oats, malt and hints of apricot, honeysuckle, set honey and salt. With time it becomes quite sweet and creamy as the oak kicks in. Overall it’s fairly chunky and robust but a floral element gives it some finesse.
The palate is full and barley’d. Again its robust, slightly nutty, earthy and malty with creamy oak, honey, porridge oats, earth and alcohol enhanced citrus. Long and mouth-watering with the alcohol drying a little. Husky barley, malt, apricot, tangerine and salt finish.
With water the nose is lighter with the emphasis on the juicy orange and tangerine. Less malty now and a touch more floral and oaky. The palate mirrors the nose in being lighter, saltier and juicier.
Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2010 (8 year old) 50%
Tasted: Apr 2020
A subtly sweet barley nose with salt, grass and a touch of barley husks. It takes some time to open up but when it does it displays hints of honeysuckle, green apple, apricot and creamy vanilla appear with time. Late delicate oils, earth and honey.
The palate opens with grippy barley, malt and honey. Subtle vanilla and salt follows along with some sweeter barley notes. Slightly earthy and tannic on the middle with coffee and smoke. Long, mouth-watering citric, mineral and salt finish with a final spice and rose petal flourish.
Bruichladdich Infinity 55.5%
Refill Sherry
A youthful nose of rich, oily, lusciously spiced, honey, dates and dried fruit, with a deep marmalade complexity of mature sherry notes. All set against a gently earthy/ peat/ sea air background.
Medium bodied with the youthful peat of the Port Charlotte greeting the palate initially, followed by waves of Oloroso fruit, earth, salt, smoke and honeyed oranges. Smooth and long with malty, wood flavours on the finish. Water brings out the floral honeysuckle aromas and softens the palate emphasising its creamy spiciness and its coastal character, especially on the finish.
Bruichladdich Infinity Second Edition 46%
Bourbon/ Rioja
Tasted: July 2006
The first edition contain malts that were peated to around 13-15ppm, whereas the second edition is peated to 20ppm
Initially on the nose it is very winey and faintly astringent, but once these vague red wine aromas have passed it is actually quite pleasant. It has loads of earthy/ bog myrtle, peat, charcoal, a touch of TCP and gentle, delicate fruit and smoke.
On the palate however it is frankly disappointing. It opens up with a mouthful of winey tannins and wood followed by loads of evolving peat flavours, moving from softly smoky peat through to vegetation/ bog myrtle peat. But, the problem is that it seems hollow and it left me cold. There is a distinct lack of fruit and depth, and it certainly doesn’t have the charm of the 7 year old.
Bruichladdich Infinity Third Edition 50%
A multi vintage bottling of a selection of Refill Sherry and Tempranillo casks. Peated to 20ppm
I have no idea what the moon has to do with infinity, maybe it’s because it lives in the infinite reaches of space? Either way I love the packaging. I mean you have to hand it to these guys; they have the art of presentation completely sussed! Anyway what does it taste like? (bearing in mind that I wasn’t a fan of the 2nd edition)
The nose opens with leafy sherry and a deep, herbal fishiness along with a touch of peat. I guess as this is a controlled vatting rather than a finish that the winey, tempranillo aromas are quiet subtle and just adds a top note. The peat aromas build to a lovely sooty crescendo and we’re now in stinky Islay territory – brine, iodine and bog myrtle. This is amazingly good.
The palate shows a greater degree of winey-ness, but the strength of the fishy peatiness soon puts paid to that. Wow, what a middle! Spicy and a bit tart, but flooded with a lovely mouth filling melange of all things Islay – Fisherman’s friends, menthol, bog myrtle-peat and oodles of fresh iodine (of the Laphroaig persuasion!). Strewth this has become medicinal. Like I said all those ‘Islay’ flavours boot the sherry and wine into touch, but they are still there adding a delightful touch of coffee-spice and red fruits to the finish. Stunning balance!
Bruichladdich Peat 46%
Bourbon/ Tasted: Sept 2008
Another new ‘multi-vintage’ bottling. This time the peating levels have been increased to around 35ppm which shows on the nose with a phenolic intensity of medicinal peat and rubbery fisherman’s garments. A classic peated Islay. Yet it is definitely not one dimensional. The Islay notes are backed by classic laddie bourbon coated apple and orange fruit.
The palate is lovely, full of the most crumbliest, flakiest ………. peat – hang on getting carried away here! But seriously young, medicinal and bog myrtle it may be but there’s a robust fruitiness to this malt, oh and did I mention the peat?? In conclusion it is youthful yet beautifully rounded, full of Islay charm!
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 