Review: Bruichladdich The Ternary Project

Posted on 6th Apr 2021 by Steve Prentice

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

Posted on 17th Dec 2016 by Steve Prentice

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: SMWS Feis 2016 release – 127.44

Posted on 19th May 2016 by Steve Prentice

SMWS release their Feis 2016 offering – 127.44

Info: This is a 12yo Port Charlotte from Bruichladdich, at an awesomely high 65.9% abv. Labelled as Cantina Mexicana.
Colour: Rich dark amber, plenty of rusty colour.
Nose: Buttery and rich, slightly lactic. Mushed down autumn fruits with a buttery malty crumble topping and a dollop of cream that’s kind of nearly on the turn. Ozone and slightly salted peat. With time more blackberry tones come forward.
Palate: On the palate this is hugely slick and velvety at the high abv, you’d think it’d instantly kill your tongue but it doesn’t. It’s fairly sweet, with hints of bbq embers
Finish: Long, strong, tasty and moorish. Good stuff.
Water: It’s really high with alcohol, so a drop of water can’t really hurt. With a drop a little more biscuit malt note comes forward with an increase of coal notes. I prefer it that way! With a few more drops of water there’s a definite tropical note that comes out and the slight lactic note becomes totally integrated and works well for the dram. It stays buttery.
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Review: Port Charlotte 12yo

Posted on 13th Jan 2015 by Steve Prentice

Port 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

Posted on 7th Dec 2014 by Steve Prentice

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.