Scotland, Isle of Islay: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Bruichladdich

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Bruichladdich distillerie
Bruichladdich Distillery
Port Charlotte
Islay - Argyll PA49 7UN
+44 1496 850 221
Owner: Bruichladdich Distillery Company Ltd
Web site www.bruichladdich.com
Creationdate: 1881

photos comments

The distillery is on the shore of Lochindaal, on the road to Port Charlotte. It was built in 1881 by the Harvey brothers: William, Robert and John Gourlay. Their father, William Harvey was the owner of the once famous Glasgow distilleries Dundashill and Yoker and bequeathed the money to his sons expressly to build a distillery on Islay.
In 1886, the society took the name of Bruichladdich Distillery Co and all the shares were owned by the Harfey family.
Following the death of the manager and family shareholder Kenneth Harvey during the big recession of 1929 the distillery to close its doors until the Second World War when the distillery was sold to Associated Scottish Distillers ltd, owned by National Distillers in the United States in 1938. Other distilleries were bought by the same group in the same period: Ben Nevis, Benromach and Fettercairn.
The distillery was sold in 1952 to Ross & Coulter. The latter society was bought by A.B Grant in 1960. The malting floors were closed in 1961 in common with other Islay distilleries when the large maltings at Port Ellen was constructed.. Invergordon Distillers took the distillery over in 1968. Invergordon became later part of Whyte & MacKay in 1993, itself part of the american group JBB Greater Europe (Jim Beam Brands) which in turn was owned by the US giant Fortune Brands (2006: Beam Global Spirits & Wine ) who mothballed the distillery in 1994
In december 2000 a group of private investors, led by Mark Reynier of Murray McDavid, a famous independent Scottish whisky trader, bought the distillery..
It is managed since then by Jim Mac Ewan, former director of the Bowmore distillery, and an emblematic character of the Isle.of Islay and winner of Distiller of the Year for an unprecedented three times.
Since 2002, three single malts are produced at the distillery: Bruichladdich of course, but also a peaty malt, called Port Charlotte at 40 PPM and the earth shattering Octomore - the world's heaviest peaty whisky at an astounding 80.5 PPM. From May 2003 Bruichladdich is bottled at the distillery -the only Islay whisky that is distilled, matured and bottled on the Island. All Bruichladdich is bottled un chill filtered, caramel free and at 46%. Each bottling is a cuvée created by Master Distiller Jim McEwan. From 2004 Bruichladdich will experiment a 100% organic malt, produced from organic grown barley.
All the whisky production is now retained for the distillery's own use as Bruichladdich single malt.
The independent bottler, Murray McDavid.is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bruichladdich Distillery Company Ltd.

For further information, please see the web site of the Bruichladdich distillery. I am very grateful to the distillery for having validated the content of this page.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

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Bruichladdich: Official bottlings
 

Bruichladdich Ten
Age
 10 years
Alcohol
 46°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Casks
 Bourbon (40%)
Sherry (60%)
Bottling
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
 Bruichladdich ten
 

The colour is yellow-gold. The nose is full and fresh, fruity (green apple, pear) and slightly iodised.
The palate is smooth and oily, with salted toffee and grilled malted barley hints.
The finish reveals citrus and salty hints.


(la Maison du Whisky)

 As an exception in the world of Islay whiskies, Bruichladdich produces non peaty whiskies. The nose detects some fruity fragrances, far away from other whiskies from the same Island. The mouth feeling is slightly acid, remaining citrus fruits. A too short finish. An interesting bottle, especially if related to its price.

A sweet smell of ripe fruits (pears) followed by a sweet and malted taste. A short finish. An interesting whisky. However, this distillery has much better products on the market.

A very fresh nose with apple hints. A contrast between orange acidity notes on a background of malt. A coastal whisky. A nice finish, short but pleasant, where the salty character of this whisky remains for some times in memory.

A fresh nose combining harmoniously hay and cut grass with fruity hints, green apple, and other clear but less pleasant ones such as yeast. In the palate, a kind of acidity and pear spirit hints are followed by slightly bitter nutty notes. No great surprise but no deception neither. The finish is lingering and fresh, marked by unripe walnut or woody bitterness.
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Bruichladdich
12 years old, Second edition
Age
 12 years
Alcohol
 46°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Bottling
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
Bruichladdich 12 years second edition
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Bruichladdich Fifteen
Age
 15 years
Alcohol
 46°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Casks
 Bourbon (80%)
Sherry Aloroso (20%)
Bottling
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 Bruichladdich fifteen
 

The colour is deep gold. The full nose reveals a kind of fresh flower fragrance (heather).
Toffee, dry banana with sherry on the background characterises this malt at nosing.
The palate is smooth, and continues on the malt sweetness and on exotic fruit fragrances.

The finish evokes iodine with woody hints.

 

 Bruichladdich has a place apart in the world of Islay whiskies. Far away from the strong peat smells from Ardbeg or Lagavulin, the distillery from Port Charlotte is characterized by a great complexity of fragrances and tastes. This 15 years old version also has in addition to all those olfactory and gustative qualities, a very long finish, which lets us enjoy this exceptional bottle for long minutes. The non chill filtration adds some wild complexity which enhances the pleasure. This is a bottle to recommend to anybody.

Some undergrowth smells, with some discrete banana hints on the background come from this whisky. The palate is rather complex and very pleasant, with some malt touches, but refined with some very sweet and sugared spice. A very nice finish.

A very clear nose, with some maritime hints (salt, seaweed), special fruity touches on a sherry background, with some fine woody hints. The pleasantly complex palate reveals some sherry too, along with a surprising marriage of flavours somewhere between the sweet and the spiced, between banana and exotic fruit. A nice finish, lingering and warm, where some maritime hints confirm the nose.

The nose presents a nice evolution. First a rather flat impression of malt mixed with yeast, followed by the apparition of some citrus notes before developing in the complexity with fine woody hints and fruity notes (plum). Very interesting nose. The palate reveals immediately the citrus hints, with nice nutty nuances and exotic fruit. A refined woody taste follows the first acid impression. Very complex and rather amazing mouth. The finish is lingering and first very fresh before developing on a nice bitterness while keeping this acid impression which was dominating the mouth. Excellent bottle.
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Bruichladdich Twenty
Age
 20 years
Alcohol
 46°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Casks
 Bourbon
Bottling
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 Bruichladdich twenty
 The colour is gold. The nose, complex detects honey and a variety of fruits (apricot, lemon, kiwi, melon) with some oak hints on the background.
The palate is rich and oily, and confirms the nose. It also reveals a kind of malted sweetness.
The long and silky finish goes over to some salted and iodised hints.
(la Maison du Whisky)
 I guess the price of this bottle is more due to the age of the whisky than by its quality. This whisky is really excellent, but compare to the 15 years old version, it is a little bit disappointing, and it is difficult to forget about the price.... This version (which is difficult to find now) is however still a reference. The finish is also a little bit disappointing, because quite shorter than the 15 years old version.

A rather discrete nose, however pleasant and perfumed, slightly acid announces an interesting bottle The taste remains a kind of spicy malt, and the finish comes back to sea hints and is of average length. A good bottle, but this confirms that older whisky does not always mean exceptional quality....

The nose varies between sweetness and acidity, with fruity notes, ripe melon to (sweet) lemon on the background. A certain complexity in the palate, with some discrete nuances from malt to fruits. A pleasant finish, a bit woody and slightly salted.

The nose is slightly spiced with tobacco hints, sherry and resin. Despite this diversity of tastes, the nose remains rather common and simple, with a lack of excitement. In the palate a clear impression of linearity even if it does not make it a bad whisky. Woody notes mixed to citrus fruits dominate this quite boring whisky. The finish is relatively short, in slightly bitter tones, and without any extravagance.
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Bruichladdich
8.26 Valinch
Age
 19 years
Alcohol
 58,8°
Particularity

Non chill filtered
Cask Strength
Sherry Oloroso
This whisky is bottled by the buyer himself directly at the distillery.
Only 826 bottles of 50 cl are marketed.

 
Casks
 Sherry Oloroso
Bottling
 Jean-Marie Putz
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
  Bruichladdich 8.26
 

The distillery has marketed this special cask strength version, specially designated to the distillery visitors to celebrate officially the first anniversary of the reopening of the distillery.

Jim Mc Ewan, distillery manager has selected the cask number 1330 (filled in 1983). Each bottle has a label signed by him.

08.26 is the time the first spirit has been produced after the re-opening of the distillery, and 826 bottles of 50 cl were sold. This whisky being very rare, the sale has been limited to one bottle by visitor.

 
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Bruichladdich 1984

Age
 18 years
Alcohol
 46°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Bottling
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 Bruichladdich 1984
The colour is bronze, the nose is rich and malted and reveals some fruity hints (peach, peer) on a background of iodine and fine woody notes.
Slightly peaty, it develops on resin (pine) and citrus fruits (lemon zest).
The mouth is marked by toffee and fruits and develops on honey and lemon.
The fine finish evokes sea spray.

The nose is very pleasant and complex, somewhere between the malt and some sweet citrus fruit, without acidity followed by a nice impression in the palate, with some peat hints. An exceptionally long finish, and the whole makes a wonderful whisky, allying the aroma complexity and a perfectly balanced whole.  

A nice sea influenced nose, fresh and fruity. Pears on a beach. In the palate, a very nice and complex feeling with a very slight touch of peat and a remote taste of walnut and an impression of chocolate toffee. A nice and lingering finish, where the sweet notes of toffee seem to dominate some remote woody hints.

The third time, the nose remained very fresh, but a kind of hay smell seemed to dominate the fruity hints on a marine background. The mouth is first slightly dry and bitter, a little bit peaty, and goes on on ripe fruits and the finish is at the time sweet and slightly bitter.
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Bruichladdich Links
The 16th hole. Augusta

Age 14 years
Alcohol 46°
Particularity Non chill filtered
Bottler Official
Price/litre =25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Bruichladich link
Nose: smooth and marked by coffee and wax hints. It develops on smoked barley and liquorice?
Palate: influenced by ripe fruits (prune, peer), the peaty and spicy character reveals gradually.
Finish: ashy, it goes on on candied citrus fruit (lemon) and woody/spicy notes (clove, pepper)
(la Maison du Whisky)
The nose is characterised by a great freshness, however rather discrete, with some liquorice hints, followed by a palate recalling some old violet sweets from our childhood, a little like the special finishes (port or claret) from Bowmore. The peat and the smoke are extremely discrete, and share the attention with a lot of other fragrances, giving this whisky an exceptionally complex character. The finis is long and spicy, and some liquorice hints continue to develop. A very good bottle.

The nose is fresh and salty, however it remains discrete despite a slightly spicy touch recalling liquorice. In the palate, a very pleasant complexity, allying violet flavours to a discretely smoked peat and some ripe fruits hints. A very long and pleasant finish, sweet with some non dominant woody hints. A very subtle whisky, to taste in a quiet atmosphere because concentration enhances the pleasure offered by such a whisky.

Quite a classical nose, made from malted barley and fruits behind a light veil of smoke. A touch of chocolate and coffee and a slight woody note. A flower touch is present at retro- olfaction. In the palate, some nice development from bitter, slightly woody notes on acid hints and then back to the first bitterness, The whole on a vast taste palette. Not a classical woody bitterness, but something like a bitter fruit, and not a classical citrus bitterness, but something with more nuances. The finish is long, again marked by this strange fruity bitterness (bitter exotic fruits, gentian)> After rereading previous notes, it appears that the perception is quite different this time. However, no doubt about the quality of this nice whisky.
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Bruichladdich Links
The 18th green, Royal Troon
Age
 14 years
Alcohol
 46°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Bruichladdich Links

A floral nose, fresh and complex with some slightly acid hint on a malt background is followed by an impression of honey with bitterness touches in the palate. Citrus fruits on the background, with malt hints confirm the impression left by the first nosing. A lingering finish with some far-off sherry notes.

The nose is clearly on cerals with some fruity hings. The palate confirms the first nosing with some honey and slightly acid hints in addition, giving the whole a nice structure. The finish is quite long and fruity and malty touches interlace with some citrus notes.

The nose is clearly marked by fruit and spices. A smell of seaweed and sea spray is present as well, sometimes hiding nice but discrete floral hints. A nice mix of spices in the palate, together with some peat and citrus fruits, a light touch of liquorice and quite discrete fruity notes (plum). The finish is very long and pleasant. A long impression of peat and spices. Impressive finish.

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Bruichladdich
- 3D, second release -
Moine Mohr

Age
 no age statement
Alcohol
 50°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Bottling
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Bruichladdich: Moine Mhor
Known as Mòine Mhòr (“mon-yah-vorr” – the Gaelic for ‘The Big Peat’) 3D is a new heavily peated version of ruichladdich, traditionally a very lightly peated dram. Mark Reynier: “This is an entirely novel Islay whisky: a vertically-integrated malt of three varying peat levels, combining the mellowness of maturity, the gravitas of middle age with the vibrancy of youth. This has never been done before.”

Nose: rich, smoky, peaty/fruity. Vegetal notes, fresh grass. It develops on pear and spices (pepper) and anise.
Palate: powerfully, liquorice. It is peated, floral (rose) and develops on liquorice, notes of gentian, green malt.
Finish: long, oily, smooth, it is fresh, young and reveals the bitterness of the peat.

(la Maison du Whisky)
A very nice and complex nose, where peat is present without dominating the whole, leaving some room to delicate notes of ripe fruits (pear) and to a kind of vegetal freshness. In the palate, a very nice complexity too, allying dry peat touches and fruity, slightly spicy ones, on a background of smoke. A very nice finish, slightly bitter and dominated by peaty hints. A very nice bottle.

Comment by Audra B. Morrison

I expected a smoother finish from a triple-peated scotch: the finish is younger and more overpowering than the nose and the initial mouth.

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Bruichladdich
Aged 18 years

Age
 18
Alcohol
 46°
Cask
 Vin de paille "Opitz One"
Bottler
 Officiel
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
Bruichladdich 18
The first nose is quite discrete with hints of cereals and some strange beer notes. Then some other even discrete notes of hay and some remote sea spray ones.
The mouth is more pleasant than the nose was, with its little acid taste. However, no great complexity, nothing worth to be said, except this kind of white wine after taste. After all, the mouth is even deceiving than the nose. Lets hoe the finish will be better.
The finish is rather acid and a kind of tingling remains on the papilla's. Not very long neither, the memory of this beer taste remains for some short instants. For a whisky of that age, one could expect much better. This is my first deception by Bruichladdich.
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Bruichladdich
Port Charlotte PC6

Age
 6 years
Alcohol
 61.6°
Bottler
 Officiel
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
Bruichladdich PC6
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Bruichladdich
- 3D3, third release -
The Norrie Campbell Tribute bottling

Age
 no age statement
Alcohol
 46°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Bottling
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros
Bruichladdich 3d3
The nose is delightfully and finely peated with a hint of seaweed and sea spray.
In the palate, a delicate oily peat dominates clearly more discrete hints, made of cacao and vanilla. The whole is very smooth. Really amazing.
The finish is very pleasant, rather long and the chocolate notes come back, followed by some peat.

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Bruichladdich: independant bottlings

Bruichladdich
1994-2001
12 years old
Cadenhead's Authentic Collection

Age
 12 years
Alcohol
 56°
Casks
 Bourbon hogshead
Bottling
 Cadenhead's
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Bruichladdich 12 cadenhead
Nose Sea-salty fresh with a hint of peat and soft oak. Malty.
Palate Quite soft at first then some fruit and again a hint of saltiness. Some peaty notes in the finish.
The nose develops interesting malty, marine and salty notes behind a quite clear spicy (pepper) touch, together with floral hints, discrete, but clearly present. In the palate, the first impression is that this is a fruit alcohol, pear or apple. A discrete complexity, but rather present again. A nice evolution from fruits to salted malt, however keeping a clear acid hint which can be sometimes rather bothering before aeration, but which is part of the pleasure after the whisky "opened". A nice finish, slightly dry and earthy, where the memory of the fruits which marked the mouth are still present.

Very nice and expressive nose, pleasantly fruity and very fresh. Ripe fruits (pears, bananas) and green apple. Nice floral notes as well.
The palate is rather fresh too, quite complex ith nice fruity notes developing on acid freshness of green apple. A light veil of vanilla over the whole. Touches of sea spray. Salt. Very nice development of the taste, for a whisky which remains less complex than first announced.
The finish is long and fresh, and a kind of bitterness (cashew nuts) which was completely absent in the mouth appears after a while. A very pleasant bottle.
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Bruichladdich
1993
Wilson & Morgan

Age
 11 years
Alcohol
 50°
Bottling
 Wilson & Morgan
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Bruichladdich Wilson & Morgan 1993
An amazing fresh nose, marked by a clear smell of freshly cut hay, a touch of peat and discrete hints of smoke. Some discrete spices as well (pepper). In the palate, a nice balance between peaty smoke and some "pale" fruits (peaches), and a kind of bitterness which is quite difficult to qualify. A nice finish, relatively long, with hints marked at the time by a kind of acidity and some spices on a malted barley background.

Hay, barley, a touch of smoke and pepper characterise the nose.
The palate is relatively sweet and a touch of acidity first followed by bitterness, but which disappears soon to make room to a great malty smoothness with nice hints of ripe fruit. Very nice evolution in the mouth.
The finish is lingering and warm and retains essentially the ripe fruit aspects which made this tasting so pleasant.
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Burichladdich: samples

Bruichladdich
Port Wood 1991
Coopers Choice

Alcohol
 46°
Bottling
 The Vintage Malt Whisky Wompany
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Bruichladdich Coopers Choice
The nose is first rather discrete, with some notes of hay, but it developes quickly on clear peppery notes and gives a quite salty impresssion.
In the palate, a mix of pepper and wine vinegar, spices and acid hints, rather surprising, but sure not unpleasant.
The finish is slightly acid too. I
t is certainly not the best Bruichladdich I have had, but the very particular taste makes it an interesting bottle.
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PC5
Port Charlotte

Age
 5 years
Alcohol
 63.5°
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Bruichladdich PC5
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Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich Fifteen
Second edition

Age
 15 years
Alcohol
 46°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Bottling
 Official

Comment by Ian Hunter

Strong nose...slight peat with floral notes. First taste, full bodied, lively, complex. Finishes long...that slight peat is constant drom start to finish, I find it adds to the overall taste.
17,5/20

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