March 16, 2014

Quite a bunch of Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich have become more, say moderate with their new bottlings once they could come up with a ‘new’ ten years old three years ago. But before that, oh my, there’s been strange things. We’ll have a few from both eras today, and maybe go further back in time.

Bruichladdich 2007/2013 'Islay Barley' (50%, OB, Rockside Farm)

Made from barley harvested on the Rhinns of Islay in 2006. Had this been wine, it would have been a 2006, but it’s the year of distillation that counts. Colour: white wine (!) Nose: what strikes first is a huge freshness and an obvious coastal side. Probably one of the most coastal unpeated malts I could nose thus far. So peaches, apples, plums and melons plus whiffs of sea air and the faintest notes of shortbread and vanilla crème. This freshness is very lovely! Mouth: maybe a little less mature than on the nose, with a few roughish eau-de-vie notes (plums, kirsch) but also pleasant notes of oranges and watermelons. Barley sugar. I seem to find a little salt as well but I may be dreaming, not too sure. Autosuggestion? Finish: quite long, clean, fruity and rather barleyish. Comments: a little young but it’s a sweet, pure and fruity malt with a lot of freshness, as I may have written before. I also found traces of peat. SGP:542 - 84 points.

Br5 (53.8%, Speciality Drinks Ltd, Elements of Islay, 2013)

It’s true that with distillates that have changed a lot through the years, it would be nice to know about vintages. Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s amazing how close we are to the official, this baby is most certainly ‘McEwan-made’. Same notes of apples, melons, peaches… Maybe less coastal notes, though, and rather more roundness and sweetness, probably from some more active bourbon wood. Vanilla and just touches of fresh sawdust. One or two jelly babies too. With water: more apple peelings. Mouth: same, very fruity and sweet and always with a freshness. Bags of oranges drops and bottles of peach syrup, plus many cut apples. With water: works very well, it’s even fruitier and cleaner. A little grass appearing, all for the better. Finish: not very long again, but still very fruity and clean. Comments: a very easy dram, on high quality orchard fruits. SGP:641 - 84 points.

Maybe we could go on with a few old valinches that I had never tasted before…

Bruichladdich 1988/2003 ‘Valinch Malt of the Year’ (56.2%, OB, American oak, cask #1132, 300 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: it’s rather a rougher malt, with more farmy notes, a lot of grass, some porridge, damp oatcakes, some charcoal smoke that’s a little bizarre in this context… And whiffs of varnish. Not too sure about this one at this point… With water: even more grass. Quite un-Laddie. Mouth (neat): the varnishy notes grew even bigger, there’s a bitterness and even soapy touches on top of the usual fruits (melons/peaches). With water: same profile, although the soap was tamed. There wasn’t much anyway… Other than that, the grass rules. Un-Laddie indeed. Finish: medium length. A little lemon balm, which is nicer. Comments: I think you already understood that I’m not a huge fan of this valinch. SGP:461 - 75 points.

Bruichladdich 1994/2008 'Valinch Festival Crew' (59.4%, OB, Bourbon ACE'd in Chenin Blanc, cask #40, Feis Ile 2008)

Colour: rosé gold. Nose: straight to the wine. It was probably sweet chenin Chaume-style. Yellow plums aplenty, walnuts, tree bark, moss, apricots and touches of pear cider. I’m not sure the distillate has much to say but this nose is funny and pleasant. With water: more moss, humus, mushrooms, old cellar… I like this musty side. Mouth (neat): oh yes, it’s the wine and the cask talking. This time we’re rather having a lot of liquorice, some pepper and cinnamon, ultra-ripe apricots, sultanas and Turkish delights. The chenin is very vivid in the combo, very noticeable. With water: fudge! Finish: rather long, clean, very much on sweet chenin again, especially since the citrons came out. Comments: one of the Ace-ings that worked pretty well in my opinion. Very singular whisky, not sure we’ll ever see this style again. SGP:641 - 84 points.

Bruichladdich 1989/2006 ‘Valinch Changing the Guard’ (53.1%, OB, American oak, ACEd in hermitage blanc, cask #5, 420 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: very strange nose. White hermitage is a big, spicy wine with plenty of character, and that shows here. There’s a strange kind of spicy earthiness, a lot of chalk, strange notes of overripe gooseberries, then a growing ‘old barrel’ side, quite musty and maybe not of the best kind. Some burnt fruits too, burnt raisin cake… With water: some sulphur coming through. Hardboiled eggs. Mouth (neat): very bizarre. Marshallows and pepper? Plum jam, lees, blood oranges, caramel… Really unusual. With water: becomes more unlikely. Tinned pineapples and burnt wood. Finish: quite long, both fruity and bitter. Yeah, pineapples and burnt wood. Comments: it’s got some nice sides, but otherwise it’s quite wobbly in my opinion. Ha, experimental whiskies! SGP:641 - 69 points.

Bruichladdich 1989/2006 ‘The Tonga Valinch’ (57%, OB, American oak, rum ACEd, cask #1880, 330 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: it seems that we’re somewhere between whisky and rum indeed. Some candy sugar, even plain sugar cane, no molasses though, happily. Then a little butter and butterscotch, sponge cake, and this feeling of burnt fruits that we already found in another one. Also something a little metallic. With water: more burnt fruits and a little eau de cologne. Some mint as well. Mouth (neat): a strange half-grassy, half-sugary profile, hard to describe. Notes of burnt herbs, candy sugar, cake, a little rubber… With water: the cologne is back. Orange blossom water too, which is nicer. Finish: rather long, with more burnt sugar. Touches of soap in the aftertaste. Comments: another unidentified flying Bruichladdich ;-). SGP:641 - 72 points.

Bruichladdich 1989/2003 ‘Valinch 40 Not Out' (56%, OB, Refill Sherry, cask #160, 300 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: pleasant notes of caramel and liquorice, then raisins and dried figs. This one seems to be nicer! Also some wood smoke and a few floral notes, as well as drops of mead. Very decent. With water: some grass and some mint coming through. Mouth (neat): again, a pleasant start, with some cherries and again some caramel, then quite some orange marmalade and, alas, a little rubber and soap. Just a little… With water: the expected melons are making a late arrival. Hello! Finish: medium length, raisins, butterscotch, oranges zests. Comments: this one worked quite well in my opinion. SGP:541 - 82 points.

Let’s try something a little less experimental if you don’t mind…

Bruichladdich 21 yo 1991/2013 (55%, Blackadder, Raw Cask, hogshead, cask #3047, 282 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: this time we’re all on sweet barley, muesli, sweet grasses, fruit peelings… Very natural, very malty, pleasant but I wouldn’t say this baby’s got a huge personality. With water: no changes whatsoever. Mouth (neat): I like this, it’s all rather candied and citrusy. Seville oranges, barley sugar, sweet bread (pumpernickel) and vanilla fudge. With water: touches of mint, but otherwise no changes. This baby’s waterproof! Finish: medium length. It’s rather the grassy side that got bigger. Muesli-ish aftertaste (excuse me?) Comments: fair, loyal, natural and honest. SGP:441 - 83 points.

Let’s round this off with an older official if you don’t mind, which was bottled when Invergordon used to own the distillery…

Bruichladdich 22 yo 1969 'The Stillman's Reserve' (43%, OB, +/-1991)

Bruichladdich 22 yo 1969 'The Stillman's Reserve' (43%, OB, +/-1991) Colour: gold. Nose: it’s amazing how much this is almost like a ‘blend’ of Sauternes with sweet chenin from Loire. And yet there isn’t any inside, I suppose… So ripe plums, acacia honey, apricots, beeswax, touches of lilies, custard… Also baklavas, orange blossom honey, rose petals… The whole is very aromatic and, I must say, very lovely. Also a newly opened pack of shortbread. Mouth: less Sauternes-y, obviously, but plums and apricots are well there, as well as honey and shortbread. This is almost liquid pastry, even when you add sweet notes of malt and brioche (obviously). Excellent body at 43%, this is perfect distillate, perfectly aged. Smooth and firm at the same time. Finish: long, rather more on candy sugar and even more honey. Very nice herbs and spices in the aftertaste (mulled white wine). Comments: great whisky. Like elsewhere, I believe the distillery had harder times during the 1980s and 1990s, but I think they’re back to their pre-1975 glory since quite some years as far as their distillate is concerned. SGP:541 - 89 points.

(thank you Konstantin and Tom)

Check the index of all Bruichladdich I've tasted so far