Quite a few recent Bruichladdich


March 4, 2024

Quite a few recent Bruichladdich
on the tasting desk

Passing by Bruichladdich, May 2007 (WF Archive)

It's time to taste some Bruichladdich. We'll be on Islay soon but I fear we won't have time to visit the Rhinns to see what's new there. That'll be for next time; after all, friends don't need to meet up to stay friends. Let's see what we have on the desk today…

Bruichladdich 18 yo (50%, OB, 2024)

This is the new one with the funny box and the hefty price (190€). Well, at least it's a conversation starter, which is already something. They mention terroir on the label, but I'm not sure all the barley comes from Islay; if it doesn't, that's a very liberal use of the term 'terroir' that they're employing. Anyway, marketers around the world are trying to invent new meanings for this word right now. In summary, they all claim that "terroir is what we do at home." Yes, of course... Colour: gold. Nose: it's quite deep but not ultra-expressive, a bit earthy and chalky, malty, more on a bread dough side, with hints of carbon powder, then more honey. It undoubtedly needs water. With water: beeswax comes out, fruit wines (the eternal peaches and melons), fresh raisin rolls... Mouth (neat): now this is very good, it starts with ripe fruits around peaches and oranges, with an immediate liquorice side. Also that fruit salad side that we so love in Bruichladdich. There's also a bit of wine but nothing too serious. With water: it's well-structured, fruity, with some citrus pastries. It seems younger than it is. Finish: medium length. Melons, guavas, sweet pepper, and always a few drops of indeterminate wine and a bit of wood/tea. Comments: it's not a very maritime Laddie, and the eighteen years don't really feel, but the quality is undoubtedly there. Be careful when you open the odd box, hold the bottle from the bottom (I almost got caught).
SGP:641 - 86 points.

Bruichladdich 15 yo (50.3%, Grand Drams, first fill sherry hogshead, #GD01, 280 bottles, 2023)

Colour: amber. Nose: Sherry takes centre stage, amidst walnut cake and toasted notes, even basaltic ones. Black tea, a touch of menthol, roasted almonds, pine sap, butterscotch... I'm not sure the original distillate has much to say in this story, but on the other hand, it was a superb cask. With water: notes of fresh cement, slightly sulphurous. Brake dust. Nothing to complain about, I quite like it when it stays in these very moderate proportions, you could almost believe it came from the distillate (but it's not Mortlach). Mouth (neat): a nutty flavour, lots of nuts, mustard sauce, bitter almonds, green pepper, even a sulphurous side indeed (again, no problem at all)... With water: goodbye sulphurous side, we're left with citrus and more nuts. Finish: long, almost entirely on nuts, roasted almonds, pecans... Comments: the 'mineral' aspect works very well in this context. It's all indeed a matter of proportions.
SGP:562 - 86 points.

Bruichladdich 16 yo 2006/2023 'Rock'Ndaal 02.1' (50%, OB, Feis Ile 2023, bourbon and Sauternes, 2,500 bottles)

You cannot separate modern Bruichladdichs (since 2001) from the world of wine; it truly remains their motif. In my opinion, even though many are superb, it's not clear what the message is behind all this, between 'our distillate needs wine', 'we love wine and we add it whenever we can', or 'this is how we distinguish ourselves', or even 'we have access to the best wine casks, so we make the most of it'... Who knows! Now many have started copying Bruichladdich... Colour: gold. Nose: well yes, it works. Sauternes always works well if the casks haven't been tampered with. Mirabelles, peaches, quince, honey, nougat, praline, roasted peanuts, apricots... With water: little change. Biscotti morbidi al limone, limoncello... This little Laddie does have a furiously Italian side. Mouth (neat): it's really good, we shouldn't deny ourselves any such pleasures. Blood oranges, mirabelles, lemon liqueur, lemon balm water... The freshness is perfect. Ban ice cubes or your bottle will empty at breakneck speed. With water: it's a sin. The bourbon barrels and the Sauternes get along like thieves at a fair. Finish: just the same. Comments: well, it's very sweet, but it's very good. It was about time we tasted this baby.
SGP:751 - 87 points.

Bruichladdich 18 yo (61.5%, Hunter Laing, The Kinship, cask #HL20201, 245 bottles, 2023)

The alcohol level seems incredibly high, but if I'm not mistaken, Bruichladdich doesn't dilute its distillates before casking. In any case, they weren't immediately after the takeover. Colour: amber. Nose: incredible. Walnut wine fortified with chartreuse, beeswax, even a bit of acetone and wood varnish, eucalyptus leaves and a brand new box of Cuban cigars. Does that work for you? With water: a marvel, the best of Pappy Van Winkle. Sublime nose, not very complex but... sublime. Mouth (neat): quite monstrous, it's like a decoction of thyme and fresh walnut husks. In short, it's no joke. With water: one bows down. Incredible varnish, rubber, nuts, bitter oranges, tobacco, and mastic. It remains just a bit brutal. Finish: more bitter orange, Italian bitters, eggplant, artichoke, candied sugar... Comments: a Laddie that keeps slapping you around like this is a bit vexing but in the end, you let it happen. We have our leader for the moment...
SGP:572 - 89 points.

But we want melons!

Bruichladdich 15 yo 2005/2021 (59.5%, Chorlton Whisky, bourbon barrel, 146 bottles)

So, the Laddie as nature intended. Colour: gold. Nose: you don't say! Lemons, grapefruits, melons of all kinds, Haribo sweets, sauvignon blanc, cactus, grasses, seaweed, wine vinegar, yoghurt, muesli… Man do we enjoy this brightness. With water: same plus woold and limestone. Superlative. Mouth (neat): chemical lemonness, which is actually a compliment. Third world sodas (the best, really, they contain much less sugar), tight lemon juice, lemonade, grasses, cactus again, agave juice… Sends shivers down your spine, as they say. With water: but what a distillate. Finish: same, just a tad rounder. That's better, this blade would have seriously ended up cutting us into halves, as we say. Comments: simply epic limey perfection, the best casks they were filling back then, in my humble opinion. Reminds me of a few young Rosebanks of old.
SGP:651 - 90 points.

Officials, the floor is yours again…

Bruichladdich 24 yo 'Black Art Edition 11.1' (44.2%, OB, 2023)

So still pre-reopening juice (so Invergordon-Jim Beam Brands). Utterly love the blurb on the 'label' (well, the stencil), no stoopid AI could have ever written that true piece of post-modern literature. Colour: amber. Nose: it's on quince jelly, juicy sultanas, pinecones, a little talc, fond de taint, pollens, pink pepper and oregano, caraway, something syrah-y, pizza oil (I know that's not very romantic), tomato sauce, sage… An unusual construction that rather loses you, but it's full of (unlikely) charms. Mouth: I find this arrival weirdly spicy and woody. A lot of wood spices (oak, pine, fir), heavy spices, cumin and clove, lees, stalk… I know it's me but this is not my kind of concoction, not on the palate, even if brighter notes of oranges would then try to balance it all. Weird drink. Finish: long, bitter, sour and leafy. Almost some artisanal Italian bitter. Comments: I've always had troubles with the Black Arts. In the first place, I've never quite understood the idea behind them, but knowing that it's a highly successful line, I'll simply tip my hat to them and bow modestly before this modern art of doing bizarre mixtures.
SGP:461 - 84 points.

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