Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Bruichladdich.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 50%.
Age: NAS, youngest component 8-9 years old. Distilled in 2013. Bottled in 2022.
Cask type: 75% ex-bourbon American oak casks, 25% ex-wine casks
Price: $70 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 3 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder (no change through the rest of the bottle.)
Nose: soft lemon candy and barley sugar, slate, sea salt.
Palate: medium body ~ more barley sugar, lemon zest, horehound candy, violets.
Finish: medium length ~ on lemon and floral notes, a malty funk in the background.
Conclusion: Simple, summery, tasty. Sweet lemon and barley presented in about as nice a way as one could reasonably expect. I’m not sure what else there is to say—these Islay Barleys are easily one of my favorite whiskies to sip on days when the weather ventures over 90F (which we’ve had more than our fair share of in Colorado this summer so far), and though there’s not much complexity, there are also no flaws to speak of, really. A delightful easy sipper.
Final Score: 83.
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 