Bruichladdich 30 Year (1973)

Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Bruichladdich

Region: Islay

Age: 30. Distilled in 1973 and bottled in 2003.

Cask Type: 65% American Oak & 35% Refill Sherry Hogshead

ABV: 43.00%

Price: Pour courtesy of /u/KissMeElon, bottle originally from Dundee Dell in Omaha, NE which has sadly since closed.

Color: 1.4, Tawny.

Nose: Rather fragrant and chock full of spices and aromatics. There’s a sweet and slightly cooling element to this nose. Menthol, mint, star anise, aloe vera, and a bit of juniper all come in here and there.

Palate: It’s a tad on the oak-y side of things. It’s not to the point of bourbon over-oaking, but the wood and nutty notes are front and center. Some more of the aromatics add a little bit of depth of flavor to this, largely in the form of aloe vera and menthol.

Finish: Incredibly long. There is a singular note that dominates everything and that’s vanilla. Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla. You might has well have taking a spoonful of vanilla paste with how much of it is in here.

Conclusion: /u/KissMeElon graciously shared a few of his bottles from the old Dundee Dell (a dive bar originally ran by a scotch enthusiast that has since closed and due to reopen under new owners) in Omaha. This Bruichladdich predates the shutdown and comes from the earlier years of Jim McEwan’s tenure there. The nose is a ton of fun with how fragrant and seemingly playful it all is. The finish is perhaps one of the most intense finishes I’ve had, with an incredible vanilla paste note that is frankly delicious. The rest of it is decent, but nothing to write home about. It’s very oak forward with not a lot else going on. Still, a really fun dram to have been able to try!

Final Score: 84.

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.

Published by zSolaris

Unknown's avatar

Home is where the corn is! Or at least that's what I told the wife before moving her from sunny Southern California to the Midwest anyway. She doesn't share my love of scotch, the drink, but has been incredibly supportive of my little wander down the rabbit hole. We do both share a love of Scotch, our dog, though (she named him, I swear!). He's the cutie in the profile pic.

Leave a comment