Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Distillery: Bruichladdich.
Bottler: Distillery.
Region: Scotland/Islay Single Malt.
ABV: 63.9%. Cask Strength.
Age: 10 Years. Distilled on 15 Dec. 2009. Bottled on 15 Jan. 2020.
Cask type: 2nd Fill Juracon Wine.
Nose: Fruity hard candies and licorice faded as pear tarts and marzipan came into focus; dry baking spices with cinnamon sticks and orange; more subtle layers of earth and herbs, freshly milled wood, and shiplap decorated faux-barn walls.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, oily, candied orange and citron peel with toffee and caramel brittle, candied almond, and marzipan Christmas pastries dusted with cocoa led to poached pears and hints of cream—water brought this out much more; wood and earth waited at the end with red dirt and more shiplap decor.
Finish: Long and lingering, drying, candied fruits, toffee, and sawdust.
Mental Image: “Eat, Pray, Love” Sign in the Barn-chic Wedding Venue.
Conclusion: Tacky but not bad— that is how I feel about the faux barn-chic venues I have been in. Everything feels a bit too fake and a bit cheap, but there are far worse places to be, and the decor is not the most important part of the venue— it’s the people. Or, in this case, while the wood notes were a bit too prominent for my taste, the fruits, especially on the palate, were lovely as they combined with caramels, pastries, and delightful pears. I loved the journey from fruity almond essence to marzipan, though the drying conclusion left something to be desired.
Overall, it was really enjoyable— based on my experience with just a few pours, I would destroy this bottle. It was not perfect, but it was very quaffable.
Final Score: 85.
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 