Nederlan
A vatting of bourbon casks with a little sherry wood thrown in. No finishing/enhancing this time, it’s plain and pure Bruichladdich. This baby was obviously distilled in 2001 and will soon hit most shelves. Colour: gold. Nose: what strikes first is a fresh cleanliness that’s not without reminding us of the old 15 from the early 1990s. It’s also rather more maritime than other recent Bruichladdichs, with whiffs of sea breeze and then touches of lemon balm and pine sap and moss. Also a little vanilla and then more lemon zests. It’s maybe not the deepest nose ever but the freshness is impressive. Mouth: well, it’s more a ‘palate whisky’, because the attack is quite fantastic, very lightly salty but with a lot of vanilla fudge, barley sugar, icing sugar and orange drops. Lollipops? Excellent fruitiness, perfect body and a lot of pleasure. Finish: long, still vibrantly lemony, with a little more oak, pepper and ginger in the aftertaste. Comments: this whisky is a pleasure to see – and to taste. In my opinion this is Bruichladdich’s true milestone whisky. Together with Lagavulin 16, I’m afraid it’s my now become my favourite ‘entry-level’ Islayer but beware, this is dangerously drinkable because of the exciting freshness and citrusy notes. Highly recommended, and it’s not expensive at all. ds
Gal Granov (84)
Nose: signature mini "baby vomit" that can not be mistaken for any other. After a few min in the glass almost vanishes and gives way to violets, and the gentlest peat with hints of seaside (brine).
Palate: starts with some wee peat covering a few sherry notes. Malty, and sugary with creamy texture and vanilla highlights. spicy bits of ginger cookies. Wee metal note as well and used tea bags.
Finish: delicate wood , spice(ginger) , and citrus. This is a good whisky period. It’s young, but quite complex, it feels a bit older by a few years. very drinkable. The nose is good, and the palate is much better, with a fair finish. Is it amazing? No. Is it bad? Of course not, It’s very good. But not stunning as I’ve expected it to be. I don’t regret having a bottle of this, it’s very drinkable and will keep me company for some time i am quite sure. A young good whisky, i see no reason to rate it in the 90’s. Lower 80’s is a good place to be. If we’re talking younger Laddies I prefer the PC line with the amazing 6,7,8 year olds.
Whisky Notes (86)
Nose: clean but not at all light or immature. It has a fruity core of citrus and banana, with a dollop of honey. It shows lots of coastal aromas, a little damp wood and hints of lemon candles. In the distance there’s also liquorice and tiny medicinal notes. A faint hint of toasted malt. Nice Islay character (albeit not exactly peaty) and fairly aromatic.
Mouth: quite bold and flavoursome, on maritime notes, brine, pepper and ginger. Balanced by a vague sweetness of gingerbread and raisins. Drier and oakier towards the end.
Finish: long, back to salty, herbal and softly bitter notes.
Certainly an above average entry-level bottling. We can only assume future standard expressions from the new Bruichladdich will be excellent.
BOW (87)
Tasting Notes by Jim McEwan, head distiller;
Character: Dream fulfilled. Rich and assertive with that unique creaminess of the Laddie. The non chill-filtered spirit drifts serenely over the palate, warming the taste buds. It is going to linger with you as long as malts twice its age.
Colour: Golden Medium Amber Honey Tone
Nose: Precursor to the flavours you will find on the palate: first, a combination of honey and a zing of fresh lemon. Then fresh, estery air bubbles of banana, ,apricot, peach and ripe cantaloupe melon. The backdrop is a hint of the warm, ocean breeze blowing over the sand dunes and shore meadows alive with the waft of wild flowers - Hebridean harmonisation. Given time, and a splash of spring water, the sweet oak brings light vanilla with a hint of nutty chocolate, with the crispness of warm, crusty, freshly baked bread.
Palate: The mellow, oak sweetness is welcoming as are hints of bourbon and gingerbread, sherry and sultanas; and as they move on, there are the lighter, icing sugar-coated fruits. It’s fresh and frictionless, the texture of warm honey - then dry, crispy, malt barley; together with the oak they merge beautifully to cradle the lighter flavours, adding the strong pulse to our long awaited Laddie!
Finish: It’s exceptionally long for a 10 year old thanks to the natural oils from the malted barley still in the spirit. This is critical for the mouth feel and aftertaste, it begs the question – why do distillers remove the very essence of the spirit?
Mood: Expansive. Generous. Sharing a sunset over Lossit beach. It’s a breath of Islay, a rare and precious union of nature and centuries old skills. It has the same passion as that of ‘the men who saw a shining light and thought that they could turn it into a dream’ 10 years ago.
