Missing Islay, and trying this dram which reminds me of this wee lovely Island. hope to be there soon this year..
Quick facts: (and Bruichladdich’s transparency is proving very useful when looking for details about the dram.
100% islay grown barley. concerto varietal. yeast strain: Mauri and Kerry.
75% full-term first-fill American whiskey casks, 25% second-fill European wine casks: a combination of Ribera del Duero, syrah, and Pauillac.
Nose: Sweet pastries, with layers of vanilla and stone fruit on top of each other, some banana on top (but not the sweet kind, almost unripe), caramel and brown sugar, very light and elegant and lovely with the oak gently intertwined. adding water reveals some light minerality and floral notes of heather and lemon drops. very clean, not a single lactic hint. creamy and balanced.
Palate: Starting with some white pepper heat, then getting rounded and more creamy: vanilla fudge, more fruity goodness, golden syrup, cereal, and milk chocolate. Very oily and quite viscous on the palate. Creme Catalan and some chocolate ganache, with a touch of wood spices and cocoa.
Finish: lemon drops, caramel candy, cocoa powder, chocolate ganache, hints of vanilla custard.
Conclusion: Classic stuff, very clean, very rounded, and very good indeed. Bruichladdich fans and whisky fans, in general, will enjoy this dram quite a lot. at 75 quid, it’s a good deal certainly.
Available online on the Laddie shop, and on other whisky shops online and offline.