Bruichladdich is regularly producing whisky made of traceable barley, grown by 14 Islay farms. It is 100% organic and local malt, with the Optic variety having the largest share nowadays (together with 7 other varieties).

The distillery already jumped on this “terroir” wagon in 2004, when whisky was distilled from Chalice barley grown on the Kentraw farm, less than a mile from the distillery. For Feis Ile 2010, this first Islay grown whisky was released as a five year-old.

Note that using local barley was obviously very common in the past, so this Bruichladdich is more precisely the first “remake” of local Islay whisky in the past few decades.

Bruichladdich Islay barley 2004 (57,5%,
OB for Feis Ile 2010, fresh sherry butt #1667, 1060 btl.)

Nose: sweet and sour notes. Redcurrant, gooseberry… Rhubarb pie. Pêches Louis with brown sugar. There’s also a burnt element in the background and a winey overtone. Mouth: sweeter now, with notes of red candy and milk chocolate. Quite sour and sharp nonetheless. Roasted peanuts and bittersweet notes of caramel. A hint of soft pepper. Finish: warm and sweet.

A Bruichladdich with a big malty profile and highly acidic fruit notes. Not too bad but a nice marketing concept rather than a nice drinking whisky.

Score: 76/100