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 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

Following the tradition of their colleagues from The Whisky Agency, they’re now using different themes for the labels. This Bruichladdich 1991 is part of the second series “Seabirds” – the first series was “Boats”, the third and latest series is “Lighthouses”.

Bruichladdich 20 yo 1991 (50%, Liquid Treasures ‘Seabirds’ 2011, bourbon hogshead)

Nose: clean, punchy barley with quite a moderate fruitiness (peach and apple). A few grassy notes. Hints of porridge. Some nice waxy touches as well as a coastal, briney veil. Quite naked, not a lot of cask influence. Mouth: fruitier now, with peach, pear, apple and lots of lemon peel. It quickly turns to a slightly sharp spiciness (white pepper, mustard, ginger). Pleasantly salty with the sweet fruits somewhere in the background. Finish: medium long, quite zesty.

As natural as it gets, very much to-the-point. Nicely coastal as well, but the lack of cask influence makes it feel younger than it actually is. Available from eSpirits, around € 90.

Score: 84/100

For the 2008 edition they selected an Oloroso and a Manzanilla cask. Last year it was a Fino cask and a Pedro Ximénez cask from the Bodegas Fernando de Castilla (Ximinez is not exactly a misprint, but it’s not the common spelling either). I’m not sure if they have much more cask types to choose from, maybe a Palo Cortado or an Amontillado?

I was especially interested in the PX cask, as it has proven to get nice results. It’s the most luxurious and sticky kind of sherry.

Bruichladdich 17 yo 1992 ‘Sherry Edition 2 – Pedro Ximinez’ (46%, OB 2009, 6000 btl.)

Nose: honeyed sherry with fresh raspberry notes. Reminded me of Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX in a way. More oak though and slightly more vinous. Darker notes of blackcurrent. After a while, spices show up (ginger, cardamom). Mouth: pears poached in wine. Other fruits as well: plums, melon, strawberry marmalade… Quite sweet, thankfully the spices add more depth. Hints of nougat. Finish: lingering cardamom, raisins, oak and caramelized sugar.

The Pedro Ximénez has brought an intense sweetness and deep fruitiness to this whisky and the balance with the spirit is pretty good.
Around € 75.

Score: 85/100

Bruichladdich 2001 ‘Resurrection’ 
(46%, OB 2008, 24000 btl.)

Nose: heavier peat than expected. Also quite farmy (wet dogs, not unlike some Broras) and even medicinal (iodine). Slightly smokey. Mouth: again rather peaty and coastal with a salty tang. Pretty far from the usual, fruity Bruichladdich profile. Lots of spices, mostly pepper and mint. With water, there are hints of coffee and peanuts. Finish: rather hot, starting on cocoa and evolving to more grassy / vegetal notes. Peanuts again.

A manifestation of Bruichladdich’s geographical roots (on Islay, the peaty island), rather than its historical roots (as the fruity distillery). Around € 45.

Score: 83/100

3D3 contains regular Bruichladdich (unpeated), Port Charlotte (40ppm) but also the first Octomore ever (80ppm), distilled in 2002 and only 3 years old at that time. The spirit was matured in a combination of bourbon, sherry and madeira casks.

Bruichladdich 3D3 ‘Norrie Campbell’ (46%, OB 2006)

Nose: like hanging over a chimney: big, powerful peat as you could expect. Burnt vanilla. Freshened up with some lovely notes of green apple juice and citrus. A bit grainy with hints of dry straw. Really dense and dark peat. Mouth: ashes, coal, peat smoke and sweet toffee. Big. Sweeter than on the nose, and although quite smokey, rather gentle at the same time. Interestingly, there are hardly any medicinal notes so it’s “clean” peat in a different way than Laphroaig or Ardbeg. Getting quite peppery. Finish: pepper again, toffee and of course lots of peat smoke.

It’s multi-layered, but also quite rough. The peat doesn’t allow much other flavours to shine through. There’s some mighty young Octomore together with fruity notes of the other Bruichladdich spirit and sweet sherry and madeira notes. For peat lovers and chain smokers only. Around € 45.

Score: 85/100

The 19 years old Bruichladdich Black Art is a tribute to alchemy. It was finished in bourbon casks as well as different types of wine casks in warehouse n°12. The spectacular pink hue already informs you about the wine treatment.

Bruichladdich 19yo 1989 ‘Black Art’ (51,1%, OB 2009, 6000 btl.)

Nose: definitely wine treated. Hints of port wine with sourish notes that remind me of cellars and of raspberry vinegar. Lots of red berries, strawberry marmalade, grapes, hints of cherry liqueur. A bit of musty oak as well. Enticing, but very very winey. Mouth: less fruity sweet than I expected although there is still berry juice to be found. Fresh, sour notes again, then some grapefruit, heavy wine and wood. Cooked strawberries. Finish: warm, quite long, winey.

This Bruichladdich won’t convert me to the dark religion of wine treatment, but it does show beautiful notes of red fruits. Thumbs up for the packaging by the way. Still available. Around € 80.

Score: 83/100

Bruichladdich Br2
(49,3%, Elements of Islay 2011, 50 cl)

Nose: a fairly rounded malt with a gristy touch. On the one hand fruity notes (apple, lemon, melon) and on the other hand a soft, coastal saltiness. Some mineral notes. It also shows a “green” element of grasses or fresh herbs like parsley. Mouth: sharper than expected from the nose, and a great deal drier. Herbal and spicy notes at first, with some ginger and a peppery kick. Then faint notes of lemon and honey before settling on dry lemon zest. Finish: quite long, spicy and citrusy.

Pretty exemplary Bruichladdich. Clean, mineral and zesty, injected with whiffs of sea air. Around € 60, available from The Whisky Exchange.

Score: 83/100

The first release in the Links series was this ‘Old Course – St. Andrews’, matured in Spanish Oak casks. Later releases are Augusta, Turnberry, Troon, Torrey Pines, K Club, Hoylake, Carnoustie… There’s also a miniature version that is included in some Bruichladdich 3×5 cl tasting packs.

Bruichladdich Links 14y
‘The Old Course, St. Andrews – 17th hole’ (46%, OB 2003, 1st release)

Nose: very fragrant. Interesting combination of sweet exotic fruit and a salty whiff of sea air. Peach, kumquat, apple candy. Passion fruit. Mango. Fruit syrup and orange marmalade. A touch of mint and a hint of smoke. Very good. Mouth: oily delivery. The fruit is more subdued now, but still candied with some orange peel and apple. More smoke. Rather short, but warm finish.

I was really impressed by the nose but the palate didn’t deliver in the same way. Overall nice balance. A few stores around the world still sell this one. Around € 35 (50 cl).

Score: 84/100

It’s a 16 years old Bruichladdich, distilled on the 22nd of April 1993 and filled into a refill sherry butt. It’s a valinch, which means it’s bottled directly from the cask by the customer. The actual outturn is therefore probably lower than the predicted 1000 bottles. 

Bruichladdich 1993 ‘Oirthir gàidheal’ (53,6%, OB 2009, Feis Isle 2009, Cask #13, 1000 btl.)

Nose: quite a malty start, but it opens up on fruity notes (peach, honey, berries covered in white chocolate) with (false) hints of peat (see below). Some fresh mint and grapefruit. Mouth: a lot punchier, quite some barley and still a few peaty associations (or so it seems), some sour notes, a bit of yeast and baked bread. Walnuts. Finish: nutty again (macadamia), peaty and again quite sour. Getting really dry in the end.

Enjoyable enough but not the best Feis Ile 2009 bottling nor the best Bruichladdich.

Score: 83/100

Update/ The reply from Bruichladdich’s Mark Renier made me want to taste it again. It turns out the sharp barley together with some false information about the dram’s properties (here and here) tricked me into thinking it was peated while it’s not. Apologies. It proves that the learning process never ends and that the power of suggestion should not be underestimated.

ps/ The second release of the Octomore has been bottled. It’s peatier than the first release (now 140ppm) and it will be presented in a box (I think I liked the tin better). There will be 15.000 bottles. Check the Laddie Blog for pictures. Oh, and PC8 will be the last in the PC… Port Charlotte series (30.000 bottles).

Bruichladdich Waves

Bruichladdich Waves (46%, OB 2008)

Nose: soaked raisins and vanilla. A little more peat than I expected. Some maritime / grassy notes. A fruity, sweet edge coming from the madeira wine. Mouth: malty start with quite a lot of spices. Another wave of vanilla. Sweet liquorice in the background, and something slightly minty. Finish: medium-long on mellow peat, spices and berries.

A fresh, fruity and easy Bruichladdich. Kind of a summer Islay malt.

Score: 80/100

The original price was around € 100. If you want one now, prepare to pay at least twice as much on eBay. That’s a really nice profit for a 5 years old whisky, less than 6 months after its launch.

The Octomore has a magnificent packaging. The bottle is black with a matte finish and shiny black print. Very minimal and an instant classic.

Bruichladdich Octomore 01.1 5y 2001
(63,5%, OB 2008)

Nose: barbecue with olive oil. Some marine notes (seaweed), lemon and heather. Of course, these flavours are dominated by the ashes, the peat smoke and the alcohol. Although, I have to say, the peat is not that huge as I thought it would be. Really tarry though. With water, you get more garage associations: motor oil and diesel. Cigars. Grassy notes. Mouth: very powerful impact, creamy with a strong peatiness. It’s not often that whisky burns my throat, but this one managed to do it. There is a wave of white chocolate and roasted nuts which I found quite impressive and unexpected at the same time. Very unusual. A bit of salt as well. Tar again. With water, walnuts and lemon. Slightly peppered. Finish: barbecue with salty liquorice. Long aftertaste, rich and “condensed” peat.

I’m afraid this Octomore experiment was a starting point and the end at the same time, because it’s on the edge of becoming too peaty. There’s no room for further evolution unless they’re going to soften it and allow more flavours – I’m sure a lot of people will find it unpleasant already. Overall I appreciate the experiment and the end result.

Score: 87/100

  Bruichladdich 3D3
  Port Charlotte PC6

In another glass, I have the original Octomore 1.1 to compare.

Octomore 5 yo 04.1
(62,5%, OB 2010, 167 ppm, 15.000 btl.)

Nose: the new one is hotter and sharper than the first release. I wouldn’t say it seems peatier, on the contrary, the sharpness blocks some aromas and brings out a more biscuity side. It even seems younger (with more apple peel and synthetic sweetness). No ashtray blast, no garage smells. Some almonds, soft vanilla and herbal notes instead (heather, juniper). Rounder, more citrusy, more aromatic, but less smoky and peaty (yes, that may sound contradictory). Mouth: very clean, oily and intense. It feels like it has an anaesthetic effect? Tarry and grassy with a peppery hotness, but again a less mind-boggling intensity than Octomore 1.1. Heather notes again with herbal tea. Faint anti-septic notes. More plain smoke now, still accompanied by a slightly artificial fruitiness. Finish: medium long, with a veil of smoke and the lingering candied notes.

I wouldn’t have guessed this is the peatiest dram around. Not sure why, but the first release seems smokier and peatier, on the nose as well as in the mouth. Even though it’s not a bad dram, shouldn’t we conclude the new one is less impressively experimental and less true to the concept? Around € 100.

Score: 84/100

There are quite some private owners of Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte casks. Most are small bloodtubs (32 liter) but this one is from a bigger cask (first fill sherry hogshead) shared by three Italian guys (Giorgio d’Ambriosio, Franco di Lillo & Nadi Fiori, who was behind Intertrade and is now behind High Spirits). The spirit was matured for 5 years and filled into 3x 134 bottles with 3 resembling labels.

Port Charlotte 5y 2002
(46%, Nadi Fiori 2009, first fill sherry)

Nose: peat and barbecue ashes but with a fruity, sherried side (citrus, tangerine, melon). Hints of wet stones, slightly burnt bacon and eucalyptus. Tobacco. Very powerful and expressive but I thought it was a tiny bit young (read new-makeish) maybe, in the same way PC7 was better than PC5. Mouth: quite clean smoke with a salty edge. Sweet peat, some pears covered in chocolate. Lemon juice with lots of sugar. Keeps getting sweeter. Finish: long, sweet and peaty. Notes of roasted peanuts with a sugar coating. Barbecue ash again.

The peat in this Port Charlotte is really countered by the very sweet sherry. If Glenfarclas was ever to produce a heavily peated bottling, could it be similar? An interesting battle between two powers. Around € 115.

Score: 86/100

Some may notice that this score is slightly higher than the blind score I gave earlier. I know most reviewers tend to pursuit “objective” scores (i.e. based on the liquid regardless of distillery, price, age, packaging or “uniqueness”) but personally I find it justified to give one or two bonus points if it turns out to be exceptional value for money or unusual / invidiual whisky compared to its region or age. Think of it as school results: a first grader can get the same score as a sixth grader, although “objectively” they don’t have the same level of knowledge of course.

Port Charlotte 9 yo 2001 (66,3%,
Malts of Scotland 2011, white Rioja hogshead, MoS 11017, 345 btl.)

Nose: rather huge notes of burnt grass, sand, brine and smoke. All this with a coating sweetness from the wine. Water is probably not a bad idea, so let’s try that. It adds big notes of damp cloth and flax rope, as well as some hay and garage smells. Mouth: utterly sweet and very peaty (it probably hasn’t been measured, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this is close to an Octomore in ppm). Quite juicy with sweet grapes and sugared lemon juice. Undiluted it tends to numb your mouth. Water adds tarry notes, sweet smoke and some saltwater. Finish: long, clean, with grapes and peat.

This Port Charlotte is extreme in many ways (alcohol, peat, sweetness). I’m not the biggest fan of this unrestricted sweet peat, but on the other hand, it’s much more than just another wine finish. Around € 85.

Score: 86/100

Malts of Scotland released a first Port Charlotte 2001 (sherry cask #829) in March 2009 and now there are two new versions: a bourbon barrel (cask #967) and a sherry hogshead (cask #833).

Port Charlotte 9 yo 2001 (60,2%, Malts of Scotland 2010, bourbon cask #967)

Nose: very peaty. The smokiness is quite fragrant with whiffs of lemon. There’s kind of a synthetic fruitiness to it as well (banana, lovely tangerine). Rather oily. Some grassy notes. The marine side is quite distinct, with boat rope and dry kelp. Clean and relatively complex, especially after you add a few drops of water. It then shows almonds and vanilla and I’m even more surprised how fragrant and “feminine” the peat is. Mouth: quite hot. An overdose of peat with sugar candy, engine oil and desinfectant. Gets drier and quite bitter after a while (hints of tonic). Water helps to add fruitiness and overcome the bitter notes. Finish: very long, very ashy and quite sweet.

Don’t try this if you don’t like deep peat. But if you do, this is very clean and focused with excellent complexity. Play around with water to get the most out of it. Around € 65.

Score: 87/100

Port Charlotte 9 yo 2001 (61,6%, Malts of Scotland 2010, sherry cask #833)

Nose: after the bourbon version, this seems less peaty but more smokey, with soot and ashes . Quite winey at first. It takes some time and especially some hand warmth to balance it. It has meaty elements, rubbery elements, dried fruits and marmalade…  Balsamic vinegar as well. This one seems more mature than its bourbon sibling, and the complexity is excellent. It’s certainly less clean (even faint hints of cow stable). Mouth: now the peat kicks in and counters the sherry. Big notes of chocolate and pepper. Plums. Liquorice. Water adds a bittersweet note, like black tea with a bit of sugar. Finish: sweet with tobacco and nutmeg.

I really enjoyed comparing them, it’s quite spectacular how both profiles seem to deconstruct each other completely. Once you’re used to one version and compare it to the other, you notice new things and vice versa. This sherried Port Charlotte is quite explosive, rougher and more complex than the bourbon cask. Around € 65 (nice!).

Score: 88/100

Port Charlotte 7 yo 2002 (63,5%, Whisky-Doris 2010, cask #1171, 298 btl.)

Nose: a very strong, high density nose of ashes and soot. Some pencil shavings and graphite. Biting alcohol as well (oh really?). Also nice hints of cigars. Water adds a little vanilla, iodine and wet wool. Slightly farmy. Sweet grassy notes as well. Mouth: too aggressive for me, at least when undiluted. Very peaty, very raw – a throat burner. More accessible with water. Lemon and salt combo. A bit of sweetness as well (sugared cereals, grapes, a hint of vanilla). Very smokey. Finish: long, like an ashtray.

I’m not a big fan of whisky that’s so peaty that it becomes difficult to detect other aromas. Peatheads will be delighted though! Available for € 60.

Score: 83/100

Since May 2001, Bruichladdich distills new spirit under the name Port Charlotte while at the same time building a completely new distillery, 2 km. away from the Bruichladdich distillery.

In 2006, the first public release of Port Charlotte was named PC5 (five years old – bourbon / sherry finish). After that, we’ve had PC6 (madeira finish) and currently PC7 (American oak finish). PC8 is coming up in October this year.

Feel free to compare with the Bruichladdich 3D3 which contains some Port Charlotte together with regular Bruichladdich and heavily peated Octomore.

Port Charlotte 2001 ‘PC6’
(61,6%, OB 2007)

Nose: less fresh than the 3D3. More smoke, less lemon. The PC6 has a more buttery smell, with notes of mashed potato. Also slightly rubbery and fishy. A lot of peat of course. Charcoal. Wet wool. Some sweeter, fruity notes (apricot and pear), although hard to discover. Anise and burnt vanilla. When you go back to the 3D3, it’s clear that both are playing in the same league, but the 3D3 is a lot fresher, with more apple and lemon notes. The PC6 is a bit flatter, warmer and deeper. Mouth: hot attack, on pepper and smoke. Very peaty. Again some rubber. Some pear and mint if you dig a little deeper. Less sweet than the 3D3, more intense and smokey (even when brought down to the same alcohol level). Finish: rather creamy with light notes of fruit. A small pinch of salt.

A challenging spirit, like going “off-road” in a peatland. Still approachable despite the high alcohol volume, but again, only if you’re really into smokey, peaty flavours. Sold out, but the PC7 is still available.

Score: 87/100