Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks
Bruichladdich bottled a series called Islay Barley where they only use barley grown locally on Islay, from a variety of farms. Each of these is fairly young, just 6 years old, and it’s supposed to be all about the influence of the barley. I’ve got samples from three of them, which is perfect for a side-by-side.
Tasted on 2/20/2021, neat in a Glencairn.
Stock image is from Bruichladdich, retrieved on 2021/02/20.
Bruichladdich 6 Year Islay Barley (2007)
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Islay
ABV: 50.0%
Age: 6 years old. Distilled in 2007.
Cask type: Bourbon Casks
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. Barley from Rockside farm on Islay.
Nose: bright fruits with tangerine, melon, and apples. Sea spray, warm sand. Woody spice. With Water: a bit of malt comes through, and dry grass.
Taste: quite spicy w/ allspice and ginger. Fruity. Seawater. Medium-thin mouthfeel. Sweet. Caramel. With Water: less spice, more fruit.
Finish: lots of spice and bright fruit. Seawater. Medium length. A bit rubbery towards the end. With Water: less spice, more fruit. A touch grassy now. Rubbery note is reduced.
Summary: this is a fine, if simple, dram. It does a few notes very well. Fruity, maritime, a bit mineral, and a bit spicy. Water brings out some grassiness and more malt. Nice mouthfeel. No off notes at all.
Would I buy a bottle? sure. I see that my local Total Wine has some version of this for $65, and I’d say that’s a good deal. (Not sure of the year as their website is really unreliable in that regard.)
Final Score: 82.
Bruichladdich 6 Year Islay Barley (2009)
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Islay
ABV: 50.0%, cask strength
Age: 6 years old. Distilled in 2009. Bottled in 2015.
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. From a single cask. Barley from Claggan, Cruach, Island & Mulindry farms on Islay.
Nose: malt, cereal. Dry grass. Butter. A bit earthy. Caramel. Apples, melon. Sea spray. Wet rocks. A bit of cardboard. With Water: similar. Cardboard is gone.
Taste: caramel. Grassy. Buttery. A little seawater. Mineral. Medium mouthfeel. Malt and cereal. Very mild spice. With Water: A bit more fruit.
Finish: caramel, cereal, and dry grass. Seawater. Mild spice. A little fruit. Some butter. Earthy. Medium length. With Water: more fruit comes through.
Summary: like the 2007, this is very simple but works well with what it has. Cereal, buttery, grassy, and a bit earthy. The fruit takes a backseat to the other notes. It still has that nice maritime character of the others. Water brings out more fruit and puts it on par with the other two. Overall a nice, simple dram.
Would I buy a bottle? sure, same comment as for the 2007 above.
Final Score: 82.
Bruichladdich 6 Year Islay Barley (2010)
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Islay
ABV: 50.0%
Age: 6 years old. Distilled in 2010. Bottled in 2017.
Cask type: Ex-Bourbon
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. Barley from Coull, Cruach, Dunlossit, Island, Mulindry, Rockside, Starchmill, and Sunderland farms on Islay.
Nose: nectarines, apples, melon. Caramel. Sea spray. Bread dough. With Water: adds some earthiness.
Taste: caramel. Apples and melons. Seawater. Medium-thin mouthfeel. Allspice and ginger. A touch dry. Bready. With Water: similar.
Finish: caramel. Bread. Saltwater. Apples, melons. Nice spice. Medium length. With Water: a bit more spice.
Summary: again, a simple dram that is quite good. Rather bready, with nice fruit and maritime notes. It’s not as mineral as the others. Water brings out some earthiness which is quite nice. Overall, not a complex dram at all, but it works well and I like it.
Would I buy a bottle? sure, same comment as for the 2007 above.
Final Score: 82.
Comparison
Order: 2010 > 2007 > 2009
These all have a similar base, but it’s surprising how different they are when you spend some time with them. The 2007 feels the fruitiest of them, and has a nice mimerality to it. The 2009 has less spice and fruit than the 2007, with more grains and earth with lots of butter. The 2010 is the least mineral of the bunch, but has more of the fruitiness of the 2007 with some added bread. The 2010 has the thinnest mouthfeel of the bunch, but it’s still reasonable.
Overall I favored the more fruity of these, and I kinda tossed a coin on 2010 vs. 2007.
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 