Review by: Raygun

Some Bruichladdich history here, from its days owned by Invergordon long before Jim McEwan came on the scene and transformed it. I haven’t had any Bruichladdich this old, but by all accounts it was a quite different beast. Entirely unpeated in those days from what I understand, and mostly used in blends. However, the Artist Series is the high-end stuff from LMDW, so I expect this particular cask is no slouch. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Bruichladdich

Bottler: La Maison du Whisky    

Region/style: Islay single malt Scotch

ABV: 55%. Cask strength.

Age: 25 years old. Distilled in 1990, bottled in 2019. I’m not quite sure how that works out to be 25 years, but that’s what they say.    

Cask type: Refill sherry butt #167, 483 bottles 

Color: 1.6 mahogany. Natural color and chill-filtered.

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Nose: Musty and smells old. Date syrup, waffles, molasses, and something reminiscent of a laundry room. Looks very sherried from the color, but the nose doesn’t show it that strongly. Good amount of spice.                       

Palate: OK, definitely more sherried here. Date syrup, tamarind sauce, roasted tomatoes, and fig newtons. Has some heat to it. I expect it’s oloroso, but still pretty sweet. Dense and spicy as well; this doesn’t take the subtle approach. Some reviews mention peat, but I didn’t detect any on the nose or here.   

Finish: Pretty thick and sweet here, too. Waffles, date syrup, molasses, and some dried cherries. Again pretty sweet. I don’t find the age comes through that much, but there is some black tea astringency.  

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Conclusion: I don’t get the feeling that there’s much nostalgia for pre-McEwan Bruichladdich, and I can see why there wouldn’t be. It’s a little simple for the age, with the sherry cask doing most of the work. I naturally want to compare it to the Black Art series, which are pretty similar in age. I’ve found those to be more complex and interesting. This is a pretty nice sherried Scotch, but not that much to distinguish it from a lot of others in the category.

Score: 79

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)