Review by: Raygun

Unpeated Bruichladdich isn’t always my cup of tea. Port Charlotte has been pretty consistent in my experience, but the unpeated has more variance. Some definite highs (some of the Black Art series for example), but a number I wasn’t enthusiastic about. Archives is a bottler I trust though. This is the Fishes of Samoa label. Let’s see what they’ve picked. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 20 minutes.

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Distillery: Bruichladdich

Bottler: Archives  

Region/style: Islay single malt Scotch

ABV: 55.6%. Cask strength. 

Age: 15 years old. Distilled on September 24, 2008 and bottled on February 5, 2024.      

Cask type: Bourbon barrel #2589, 245 bottles

Color: 1.0 deep copper. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Butter, toffee, and yogurt, pretty classic Laddie. Vanilla, malt, mint, and hay. Smells like a grassy meadow next to a candy store.                            

Palate: Somewhat grassier than the nose. Caramel and pear join the yogurt. There’s a good amount of sweet pastry, like an almond croissant. Touches of chamomile, mint, and some orange zest. Not overly hot, but nice weight.          

Finish: Sweet pastry continues. Almond croissant with some vanilla glaze, accompanied by a cup of chamomile tea. A sprinkle of lime zest. Not that much oak.    

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Conclusion: My faith in Archives pays off. I haven’t had that many bourbon unpeated Laddies. I can say this is a very good one. I like the toffee and pastry character, and the herbal and grassy elements are subtle enough to blend in well instead of being distracting. Not too hot, but I think does a little better with a splash of water. It grew on me over time, and I can imagine I might appreciate a bottle even more than this sample. 

Score: 85

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)