Much Laddie, Part Two


July 7, 2022

Much Laddie, Part Two

As it says…

(Picture, potted plant at Bruichladdich Distillery, mid-2000s)

Bruichladdich 9 yo 2010/2020 (64.2%, Artful Dodger, Rivesaltes cask, cask # R18/3240001, 371 bottles)

Another one that's met with some fortified wine from Rivesaltes in the South of France. Colour: amber. Nose: I find it extremely vinous, but some kind of balance seems to have been found and we aren't far from some good ex-PX malts. Hay, raisins, wood spices, more raisins, ham, even more raisins… With water: big saponification happening, then we have some charcoal smoke, more raisins, oak essence, caraway and juniper… Mouth(neat): very heavy, thick and rich, but at sixty- four degrees, no wonder (with another nod to The Beatles). With water: some pepper from the oak coming through, together with more raisins yet. Finish: rather long, spicy. Raisins, pepper, cinnamon and juniper berries. Comments: perfectly fine and certainly within one of the house styles there à Bruichladdich.
SGP:561 - 85 points.

Bruichladdich 'Sherry Classic' (46%, OB, +/-2012)

One that I was still having in the stash. It was finished in sherry wood from Fernando de Castilla. Colour: straw with very discreet salmony hues. Nose: I remember! Peach peel, nectarines, cherries and a tiny touch of fresh rubber, or say pencil eraser, plus fresh mint and tarragon. Also big green muscat berries, almost the shape and size of a rugby ball. Almost. Mouth: could be that all those ten years in glass did it some good, as I'm finding it better mingled together than as they were coming out. Peppered strawberries (always a hit) and once again a touch of fresh rubber, plus those raisins again. Muscat raisins. Finish: medium, rather clean, this time frankly on Szechuan pepper and hops. IPA. Comments: fun young drop. I used to have earlier bottlings at +/-82.
SGP:651 - 84 points.

Bruichladdich 19 yo 2001/2020 (53.4%, Valinch & Mallet, The Spirit of Art, sherry hogshead, cask #727, 312 bottles)

It's cool to see some distinguished bottlers partly named Valinch do a Bruichladdich. There's also a lovely painting on the back label. Once again, remember, very early batches after the reopening of the Distillery mean light peat. Colour: full gold. Nose: a rather perfect cakey sherry here, between millionaire shortbreads, walnut cookies, pecan pies and a touch of metal polish and struck matches. Plus a little tobacco and leather. With water: there is a little smoke (rather pinewood smoke), more metal polish, old coins and toolboxes, plus these peaches and melons that are not unseen in B. Mouth (neat): creamy, rather thick, with first drops of ginger and pepper liqueurs, gunpowder, then walnuts in all their guises and just, perhaps, a drop of moscatel from Malaga. With water: spicier. Once again a little rubber too, otherwise triple-sec and marmalade, peppered. Finish: rather long, with similar flavours. Some tobacco in the aftertaste, perhaps, plus stout and leather. Comments: big boy Bruichladdich, with a wee but obvious sulphuriness that's often part of this style, whatever else might be said.
SGP:661 - 87 points.

More oloroso, would you…

Bruichladdich 13 yo 2007/2020 (54.5%, Claxton's for Fadandel, oloroso octave finish, cask #956C, 71 bottles)

Helmets and seatbelts on please, this is a sherry octave. Colour: gold. Nose: the cask imparted rather a lot of chocolate, while rather bizarrely, we're also finding that Atlantic Freshness that was often to be met… In the Laddie's adverts and brochures. Ahem. That melon jam too. Anyway, nice, clean, fresh nose, was it a refill octave, Octave? With water: more, err, Atlantic freshness. Did they keep this wee beastie on location at the Distillery? Mouth (neat): extremely Laddie-esque, that is to say shock-full of melons, apricots and, say dragon fruit and watermelon. A very good wee fruit bomb, with just touches of milk chocolate on the palate. With water: just more of all that. A little rhubarb too, plus a tiny salty touch. Finish: rather long, a tad spicier (pepper). Comments: very good indeed, and certainly more 'Bruichladdich' than many other sherried offerings where the rather delicate (albeit obvious) Distillery character is often masked. Almost 87.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

Bruichladdich 13 yo 2005/2019 (64.3%, Whisky Broker, cask #1411)

There are several cask numbers, several sister casks. Colour: amber. Nose: Jaffa cakes, more millionaire shortbread, fudge and toffee, butterscotch, glazed chestnuts, malt extracts, sweet ale, marmalade. Good, I believe we've got everything. With water: oysters! The sea is striking back, despite the heavy sherry, which is amazing. Mussels stewed in brown beer, bigger manzanilla (En Rama) and liquorice… All that is perfect. Mouth (neat): very heavy sherry, with a fizzy side (Campari bitter) and surely a lot of chestnut honey. And a lot of ethanol, quick… With water: once again a salty touch pops out. Salted black chocolate, that's another utter sin in my book. Also black raisins, dried dates, and prunes. Finish: long, clean, totally rubber-less and sulphur-less, more or less in the style of some of the best Glenfarclas. Plus that funny salty tang in the aftertaste. Comments: very awesome and rather flawless.
SGP:562 - 89 points.

Bruichladdich 27 yo 1992/2019 (54.1%, Whisky Mew Japan, Dornoch Castle Whisky Bar 20th Anniversary, Japan, barrel, cask #2865)

Colour: straw. Nose: just a perfect, narrow in the best sense, very barley-y, appropriately vanilla-ed and moderately melony Bruichladdich matured in civilised, restrained wood. Some sunflower oil and dandelions too, meadow honey... This is all elegance. With water: a Chablis from one of the best grands crus – sure, your choice. Mouth (neat): extremely good and partly reminiscent of that old 1970 that they had released right after having restarted the distillery, just to send a message to the world. With water: oranges, melons, peaches, plums, the magic quadrangle. Finish: medium, soft, with once again a tiny salty touch. A wee winkle is winking at us (whaaat?) Comments: great, we caught a 90.
SGP:651 - 90 points.

Bruichladdich Artists 25 yo 1990/2019 (55%, LMDW Artist, refill sherry butt, cask #167, 483 bottles)

Bruichladdich Artists 25 yo 1990/2019 (55%, LMDW, refill sherry butt, cask #167, 483 bottles)

Actually 28 but as usual, they rounded it down. What we call doing 'coquetteries' in French. Colour: full gold. Nose: right on an apricot pie from this morning and with good barleyness, mirabelles, acacia honey and some slightly earthy earl grey, plus whiffs of bananas flambéed. All check. This baby's said to be 'peaty' but just between us, I'm not finding any peat this far. Could be me, having said that, or some mismatch somewhere. With water: more in the style of the 1990, with yellow flowers, more acacia honey, ripe mirabelles, and even mirabelle eau-de-vie. Mouth (neat): firm, tightened, rather on even more mirabelles, peaches, and with unexpected notes of cognac. Cannot be bad. With water: wee touches of oak coming out, chamomile tea, ideas of sandalwood, echoes of incense… I would recommend a very moderate use of your preferred pipette here. Finish: medium, even more floral, with peel and more herbal teas. Comments: it's not impossible that water shouldn't even be added at all. Great, great drop when naked.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

Bruichladdich 20 yo 2001/2021 (53.1%, Sansibar and Deinwhisky, sherry hogshead, 318 bottles)

Looks like they're calling this series 'The White Label'. I say brainwave. Colour: light amber. Nose: prunes, raisins, macchiato, fruitcake, banana cake, cured ham, clove and Demerara rum, while all that would not be as heady as it sounds. With water: perfect, on a fresh box of cigars and some white heather honey (one of the kings of honeys). Mouth (neat): another very good sherried Bruichladdich, this time with more spicy smoke than in most others, leather and tobacco, a drop of concentrated Coca-Cola (with apologies to the world), then salmiak and just bitters, horseradish, wasabi… With water: and voilà, sweet bouillons and marrow quenelles. I'm also reminded of some Bavarian Knödels that our friends would serve with venison, but the names escape me. Finish: long, expectedly drier, more on ristretto and bitter chocolate. Classic signature. Comments: textbook sherry.
SGP:562 - 90 points.

(Thanks Lukas, Philip, Tim)

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