Tag Archives: Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich (Bowmore House B&B Private Cask) 13yo

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Bruichladdich 13yo Bowmore House Bottle

It’s been a while since i’ve last posted a review, doesn’t time fly?! That’s family life for you with a young one. What better way to pop my head up than to taste one of my good friend’s private casks of Bruichladdich… Distilled on 9th July 2012, popped into an ex-bourbon cask, kept onsite in Bruichladdich’s warehouse number 4, and bottled by hand in the dining room of Bowmore House B&B – you can’t get a more micro provenance bottling if you tried! This would be somewhat equatable to a half fill at Bruichladdich, but this private cask bottling is only available if you’re staying at Bowmore House B&B.

Right, on to the notes…

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Review: Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012

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Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012 / 8yo

Info: Produced using barley grown on Islay in 2011 by eight farmers from western and central farms on the island, which was dried, malted and distilled in 2012. Unpeated, matured in a combination of first-fill American oak barrels and French wine casks. 8 years old, 50% abv. Around £55 (via Bruichladdich’s website).
Colour: Light summery barley tones in the sun.
Nose: Slightly spirit lead, but sweet and moreish. Earthy (but not peaty) barley notes with hints of creamy vanilla and nuts.
Palate: Creamy and easy (considering the highish abv), sweet and full of Bruichladdich signature. Barley sweetness and nuts.
Finish: Warming and long, full of sweetness, with a a small hint of tannin at the end, just how I like it!
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Review: Bruichladdich The Ternary Project

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The Ternary Project

Info: A mix of roughly 3rds (30%, 40%, 30%) of Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore. It’s a NAS, but dates (and I’m giving vaguely informed guesses here) are roughly 28+yo, ~20yo and ~13yo respectively. 4000 bottles, ballot only (closed). £275. 52.1% ABV.
Ex-sherry, ex-bourbon and ex-wine casks.
Colour: Lovely deep autumn gold.
Nose: Initially I’d describe it as a sweet and sour nose; lovely and sweet with rich fruits, but balanced with salt and peaty hints. With time fabolous old hessian and dunnage warehouse notes come out.
Palate: Oily and warming, lightly spiced to make your tongue dance a wee bit. Sweet fruity barley oils mixed perfectly with costal mossy peat. Hints of eucalyptus and tannins.
Finish: Long and warming, sweet yet tanniny and the ever present feeling you’re on a beach with a fire crackling away in the breeze.
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Review: Bruichladdich’s 10 Year Old Second Releases

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A NEW ‘TROIKA’ OF TENS

In 2011, Bruichladdich released their first new 10 year olds made from the spirit distilled since they re-opened for business in 2001.

Now Bruichladdich have released their second batch of 10 year olds, described by their Head Distiller Adam Hannett as “Very different – all three represent a snapshot in time. There is a respectful nod to those that have gone before… Although they are all fundamentally built on first-fill bourbon, I have used different suites of casks to construct each dram. There is Grenache Blanc in the Octomore, Tempranillo in the Port Charlotte and this new Laddie Ten vatting has some spirit matured in beautiful old sherry wood.”

So, without further ado, let’s see what my thoughts on them are…

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Review: Bruichladdich Classic Laddie Scottish Barley

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bruichladdich-scottish-barley-the-classic-laddie-whiskyBruichladdich Classic Laddie Scottish Barley – 50% abv

Info: “Made from 100% Scottish barley, trickle distilled, then matured for its entire life by the shores of Lochindaal in premium American oak, it is a testament to the quality our ingredients.”. NAS.
Colour: Light straw to gold, classic and natural.
Nose: A slightly more easily accessed nose to the Islay Barley 2007, it’s light, fruity, yet strong and oily. There’s ripe melon and cask char.
Palate: Easy, classic unpeated Bruichladdich, yet the higher abv and cask aging has given it quite some bite and spices. It’s fresh but also with a touch of a coastal nature to it, it’s sweet, with some vanilla and gentle oaks.
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Review: Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2007

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Bruichladdich_Islay_Barley_2007Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2007 – 50% abv

Info: Harvested in 2006 and distilled in 2007, the grain for this whisky was grown for Bruichladdich in the Minister’s Field at Rockside Farm by Mark and Rohaise French.
Colour: Light straw golden, nice and natural.
Nose: It’s got those deep punchy Bruichladdich oil tones all the way through, along with layers of light malt. There’s floral honey tones. Something funky.
Palate: Lovely, thick and warming. Considering it’s 50% it’s really gentle and velvety, very easy to drink and enjoy. It’s beautifully sweet and balanced with those ever present deep Bruichladdich oils there.
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Review: Port Charlotte 12yo

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PC12BottlePort Charlotte (Bruichladdich) – 12yo – 58.7% abv

Info: This is a Travel Retail release (i.e. you can mostly only get it in airports or at the distillery). It’s being launched tomorrow aboard a Viking Line ferry in the Baltic sea (I hope the storms hold off!).
Colour: Full gold with orangey tints.
Nose: At first maybe slightly closed on the nose; it could be the fairly high ABV, or it could just be that the aging process has given this more of a maturity than you have seen before from Port Charlotte. Given time and warmth there’s a leathery note alongside the gentle beefy peat and thicker oils. A drop of water helps open the nose up a bit.
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Review: Port Charlotte Islay Barley

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Port Charlotte (Bruichladdich) – Islay Barley 2008 – 50% abv

Info: This is the first Port Charlotte release to have been created using barley that was exclusively grown on Islay and nowhere else. Harvested in September 2008 from the farms at Coull, Kynagarry, Island, Rockside, Starchmill and Sunderland, peated to 40 PPM, then distilled in December of the same year, this is a whisky of flawless provenance. The intention is to try and recreate the spirit that was made at the distillery over 100 years ago.

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Review: Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley

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octob.2009Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley – 2009 / 5yo – 64% abv

Info: The first Octomore distilled from 100% Islay barley. Grown and harvested by James Brown from Lorgba, a field on Octomore farm. A massive 258 PPM.
Colour: Fairly rich golden, autumn tints.
Nose: As ever you have those well known slightly briny deep engine oil tones that Bruichladdich is famous for, smokey barley and sweet citrus and oak notes, a background of marmalade. It becomes lighter and lighter over time with honeyed tones showing.
Palate: Really oily and rich with slightly sweet mossy peat tones. The high ABV does make it quite hot. The mossy tones seem more pronounced in this particular Octomore over previous versions, and I like them!
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