Review by: The Muskox
This is blind #4 from my whisky club (I know the label says “three”, but I tried this fourth, after that McNair’s bottling). This ended up being a fairly dusty and interesting Bruichladdich release. Bottled in 2006, this is a blend of three levels of peat. The upper two levels would of course eventually become Port Charlotte and Octomore. Bruichladdich has since revisited this concept with their Ternary Project release, which was, if nothing else, very very expensive. This bottling is named after Norrie Campbell, the last peat cutter on Islay, who passed away the year this was bottled.
As per my blind tasting policy, my tasting notes, score, thoughts, and guesses are all locked in before the reveal. For this dram, I had no idea what I was being poured, aside from that it was probably whisky of some kind.
Distillery: Bruichladdich.
Bottler: Official bottling.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 46%.
Age: No age statement, but given that this was bottled in 2006, and that Octomore was first distilled in 2002, there’s likely some three-year-old whisky in here.
Cask type: Unknown.
Price: N/A, sample.
Color: 0.3, Pale gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Nose: Instant first impression is Bruichladdich. It’s definitely peated, not sure yet if it’s Octomore or Port Charlotte (or Rhinns, or Lochindaal!). There’s some custardy stank, iodine, rubber, nori sheets, and crispy bacon. Honey and vanilla. Ricotta cheese, key lime pie, and sourdough smeared with salted butter. Lemon granita and some ripe sweet pineapple.
Palate: Medium texture, proof seems moderate. Sweet and buttery on the arrival, with vanilla, nutmeg, brown sugar, and toasted coconut. Big pork fat and lime sherbet as it develops, then some scented oak and shellfish. Light-roast coffee beans, coastal peat smoke, and seaweed.
Finish: Medium-length, sweet. Brown sugar, butter, banana, candied ginger, tropical flowers, and sugar snap peas. Lingering slight earthiness and minerality.
Possible SMWS bottling name: “Shave ice stand under the pier”
Conclusion: This is solid. Relatively mellow throughout, but these are some nice flavours. The finish is maybe a little light.
The lime could point towards Ardbeg, but that buttery tang just screams Briuchladdich. I don’t think there’s quite enough iodine to call this an Octomore. It’s even a little light on the peat for a Port Charlotte… could this be a Rhinns? Maybe it’s just an older PC? The nose improved substantially with time in the glass, which is another sign of an older whisky. Did Russell put a Rhinns in this tasting because it didn’t fit in the Bruichladdich Monsters of Islay tasting? The sweetness throughout has me thinking of an active bourbon cask, or, could this be a rum cask? Those Dramfool rum cask PCs are too high-octane, but there’s a Vintage Bottlers Port Charlotte 21 in a rum cask out there, at 48.7%… that could fit.
…This better not just be Longrow 18.
Guess: Single malt, Islay, heavily peated, ~18 years old, ~48%, rum cask.
Shot in the dark: 2001 Port Charlotte?
Final Score: 85.
Post-reveal thoughts: No wonder I was having trouble pinning down the peat level! I’m pleased that I immediately picked this out as a Bruichladdich. I wasn’t even the only person who tried this that guessed it was an older Port Charlotte, so I’m in good company there. I blew the cask, but whatever. This is an interesting release, and apparently still pretty cheap at auction. If you’re a Bruichladdich nerd, this could be worth a look.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 