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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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May 19, 2026 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
today indie Bruichladdich 2010 versus 1969
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We have a great many Bruichladdichs in the pipeline, and we shall try to organise another remote Feis Ile this year, during which we shall taste plenty of Islay whiskies from all the distilleries, Jura included, but in the meantime, let us indulge in another little Time Warp of sorts… 1969 versus 2010, shall we?
Typical Feis Ile view (WF) |
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Bruichladdich 13 yo 2010/2024 ‘release 9.1’ (63%, Dramfool’s Jim McEwan Signature Collection, premier grand cru supérieur Sauternes barrique, cask #2339, 236 bottles) 
Back once again into the world of Bruichladdich wineskies. It should be noted that there is only one premier grand cru supérieur in Sauternes, and that is Yquem. The funniest part is that I happened to be at the distillery when these casks arrived empty, and I could talk about it for hours. Quite an adventure! Colour: gold. Nose: apricot, peach, honey, mirabelle, all turned up to ten. With water: banana cake drenched in honey and… Sauternes. Mouth (neat): sweet, liqueur-like, on plum paste, quince paste, peaches and apricots in syrup… With water: Williams pear bursts in with force and conviction. Finish: long and as fruity as one could wish for. Comments: that said, the Bruichladdichs from the 1990s, such as those bottled by Cadenhead, already displayed this fruity side, although more on melon back then. Still, this remains fruit eau-de-vie at heart, and very good fruit eau-de-vie at that.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
Truth be told, over the years we have never really managed to establish any direct relationship between the quality of the wines used for finishing in Scotland and the eventual quality of the whiskies themselves. In other words, great crus, Margaux and Yquem included, have never automatically produced great whiskies in my opinion. Nor the opposite, for that matter… Anyway, let us move on to an older Bruichladdich of similar age, although distilled 41 years earlier… |
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Bruichladdich 15 yo 1969/1985 (54%, Gordon & MacPhail for Intertrade & Turatello) 
Not entirely convinced by this mention on the label, ‘Oldest Islay malt Scotch whisky’, given that Bruichladdich, much like its cousin Bunnahabhain, was founded in 1881. Nadi? That said, the Intertrade/Turatello 24 yo 1965 was an absolute marvel (WF 93). Colour: gold. Nose: of incredible gentleness, simplicity and finesse. We were speaking of great Sauternes earlier, this is great Sauternes by analogy rather than impregnation, if you see what I mean. Sublime apricots, vanilla, quinces, pumpkins, red kuri squash and yellow melons. With water: that very great white wine character remains. Fresh barley comes through once more, alongside bread and freshly made pancakes… It never lost its connection with the raw materials! Mouth (neat): oh but this is glorious! Mint, eucalyptus, angelica, verbena, quince, mirabelle, thyme honey, grapefruit… With water: exceptional herbal infusions, honeys, waxes… Finish: anecdotal and disappointing, given that it means the end. Seriously though, this is magical. Comments: the Italians, infuriating as ever in the way they instinctively understand everything they put into their mouths, were the true promoters of Bruichladdich. Everything that followed was merely froth and opportunism.
SGP:651 - 93 points. |
The seminal question remains the same as it has for the past thirty years: why can nobody seem capable of continuing to produce the same level of quality as back then? At least when it comes to the stars, mind you, we are not speaking about average quality levels, which, in our opinion, have rather improved… |
(Many thanks indeed to the Absolutely Nuts.) |
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