Review by: The Muskox
I’ve been on a bit of a Bruichladdich kick lately if you couldn’t tell… I’ve been getting in the zone to pour a very special Islay whisky for my next review. This will be my second private-cask Bruichladdich that I’ve tried. The first set quite a high standard – let’s see if this can top it.
Distillery: Bruichladdich.
Bottler: Official bottling.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 57.1%, cask strength.
Age: 15 years old. Distilled in 2002. Bottled in 2018.
Cask type: Fresh Sherry Hogshead.
Color: Mahogany. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.
Nose: Sweet and dunnagey, almost Springbank-like. Lots of rich sherry fruit – Strawberry cheesecake, Fig Newtons, dried fruit leather, Muscat grapes, and cantaloupe. I’m not sure if that cheesecake has a normal pie crust or a buttery graham-cracker crust. Honey, malt syrup, and toasted sesame seeds. The earthy notes offer some balance – mushroom and toasted walnuts. There’s a savoury musky note here, almost sweaty? Black pepper and seaweed, and a hint of smoke.
A couple drops of water adds a slightly charred/savoury note. More musk (I’m an expert in musk!).
Palate: Medium texture. Arrives heavily sherried, but not too sweet – malt syrup, cheese and cherry Danish, citrus oils, and pomegranate. As the whisky develops, it gets yeasty, then earthy and bittersweet. Strong tea, toasted nuts, oiled exotic wood, mixed spices (star anise, clove, cinnamon), and cool damp cellar.
With some water, the whisky is less bitter, and more plush and velvety. Some brighter flavours now – cherry, yuzu, cantaloupe, floral, rich cinnamon spice. More nuttiness too, even some browned butter.
Finish: Medium-long. Light smoke, sort of a smoked paprika note. Melon rind, passionfruit, citrus pith, and some yeast. Sesame seeds. Wet soil just after rain.
Water adds more cherry.
Possible SMWS bottling name: “Eric Carle’s jam cellar”
Notes: “Pancakes, Pancakes!” was always a favourite of mine. Anyways. This is beautiful whisky that reminds me why I love Bruichladdich so much. The earthiness and musky-spice complexity are completely lovely, and are necessary to balance the heavy sweet sherry. I actually found this whisky a little bitter-oaky on my first taste, but I think that may have just been a palate contamination thing. This is quite similar to that first private cask, especially with that sweet stonefruit-sherry character, but this one seems earthier and, well, older. Not sure which one I preferred.
Final Score: 90.
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 