Bruichladdich Peat Review

“Liquid Wet Earth  ”

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: Bruichladdich Peat

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV: 46 %

A Gorgeous Day at Bruichladdich!

Colour: Brass

Nose: Young Sweet Peat, Fish on the BBQ, light Brine, light Tar, light Ashes, light Leather, Straw, Buttered Toast, Peanut Butter, Olive Oil, Lemon-Pepper, Mandarin Juice, Canned Pear, Canned Pineapple Slices, Caramel, Salt & Pepper. The Alcohol is not fully integrated. Not very complex but Well-Balanced. I like it!

The Mash Tun in Action!

Palate: Young, slightly Edgy and a bit Thin despite the 46%. I find Sweet Peat, Cold Smoke, light Tar, light Ashes, light Brine, slightly Bitter Oak, Black Coffee, light Plastic, Pepper, Salt, Aniseed, Licorice, light Vanilla, light Honey, Grass, Caramelised Banana, Smoked Pineapple, Barley and a hint of Cinnamon. 

Winding My Way Through the Wash Backs!

Finish: Middle-Long with Sweet Peat, Cold Smoke, Ashes, Salt, Pepper, Licorice, slightly Bitter Oak, light Vanilla, Citrus, Banana, Menthol and a hint of a home-made Cheese-Burger from the BBQ.

Tasting the New Spirit in the Stills Room!

With a couple of drops of water the Nose gets extra Pineapple, Grass and Malt. But Palate and Finish don't benefit from added Water. Better sip it neat!

Rating: 85  

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21

Is the Spirit really Safe with my Brother in Law Around?

General Remarks: Peat was part of a trilogy with Waves (Mildly Peated) and Rocks (Unpeated). Waves, Peat and the earlier expressions Infinity and Links were phased out in the beginning of 2012. Late 2013, Rocks was the last of the series to be discontinued. Peat (35 ppm) is not Chill-Filtered and not artificially coloured. Peat matured for roughly 5-7 years in Ex-Bourbon Casks selected by Master-Distiller Jim McEwan. It was priced at an average 60 US Dollars in late 2012.

A Few Wonderful Casks!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good  

Conclusion: This is a peated Single Malt alright but quite different from more Medicinal Malts like Ardbeg or Laphraoig. The Bruichladdich Peat is more about Sweet Wet Earth if you know what I mean. And with additional Fruit, Fish, Salt and Spices to give it sufficient balance. I like the Nose. But on the Palate and in the Finish the Bruichladdich Peat is a bit Young and Edgy and I don't particularly like the Bitter Oak component. Still, if you like peated Whisky and you are able to  find it around somewhere, you should check it out! 

The Bottling Facility at Bruichladdich!

Some Data: Bruichladdich means The Shore Bank. The Distillery is located alongside the the A 847 (Bridgend - Portnahaven) in the little village of Bruichladdich, overlooking Loch Indaal. It was founded in 1881 by the Harvey Family from Glasgow. It changed hands for a couple of times until Whyte & Mackay Ltd bought the distillery in 1993 only to close it down until it was bought in 2000 by a couple of private investors headed by Mark Reynier who brought new life to the Distillery, profiling it as " The Progressive Hebridean Distillery" and introducing many special bottlings. In 2012, Buichladdich was sold to Remy Cointreau from France. The Distillery possesses a open cast iron Mash Tun, 6 Wash Backs (Oregon Pine) and 2 Pairs of Stills. In 2013 their total production capacity amounted to around 1,5 million litres, basically sold as Single Malt.

A Private Concert at the VC: Caledonia!

The water for the distillery is sourced from a Loch in the hills close to the Distillery (Mashing) and a Spring on the Octomore Farm (Bottling). The Distillery  opens from Monday - Friday from 09.00 to 17.00 hours and on Saturday from 10.00 to 16.00 (Easter-September) and from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 17.00 and Saturday from 10.00 to 14.00 (October to Easter). You can do the Standard Tour at 5 Pounds or book extended tours and tastings in advance.

The Very Nice Visitor Centre + Shop!

We visited Bruichladdich on Friday May 16, 2014. It was one of the two sunny days we had on Islay and the view from the Distillery towards the Loch is truly beautiful. First we had a look at the very nice Visitor Centre and the Shop. We then did the Standard Tour at 5 Pounds per person. The tour was nice, but not really special. The people at Bruichladdich are really nice and warm and you immediately feel at home there. In this respect I rank it 2nd only to Laphroaig on Islay. At the end of the tour we tasted the Port Charlotte 13 Years that matured on Chateau d' Yquem Casks and the 2006 Bere Barley. If you can only visit a few distilleries on Islay, Bruichladdich should certainly be one of them!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 August 10, 2014

Lovin' Whisky!

Strathisla 12 Years Review

“About Toffee, Perfume and Whisky”

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Brand: Strathisla

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40 %

Strathisla in the Rain!

Colour: Copper

Nose: Sweet, Fruity, Malty and Floral with Barley, Warm Berries, Banana, Warm Apple Pie, Honey, Dried Fruit, Caramel, Nuts, Buttered Toast, Straw, Charred Oak, Sweet Sherry, Lemon Grass and hints of Smoke and Pralines filled with Cherry Liqueur. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. If anything, it's a bit on the heavy side. The Nose of the Strathisla 12 could do with a bit more balance.

Very Picturesque!

Palate: Sweet, Floral and Malty with Barley, Honey, Orange, Dried Apricot, Pear, Raspberry Jam, Toffee/Caramel, Nuts, Oak, Perfume, very light Spices, Sherry and Dried Fruits. Limited (Refill) Cask Influence. 

Wash Backs at Strathisla!

Finish: Almost a Spiced Toffee! Middle-Long and quite Sweet with Caramel, light Vanilla, Nuts, Sherry, Oak and Spices. 

The Stills at Strathisla!

With a couple of drops of water the Nose gets additional Flowery Notes and it's almost like a Perfume. More Malt and Fruit as well. The Palate gets more Floral notes. You could almost imagine selling this Strathisla as a lady's Perfume!

Rating: 83 

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20.5

Spirit Safe at Strathisla!

General Remarks: The 12 Years is the basic Distillery expression and matured in a mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry Casks. It's coloured with Caramel and Chill-Filtered. In 2013 the old packaging and bottle were replaced by a more modern looking ensemble. Personally I preferred the old bottle. At the same time the ABV was lowered from 43 to 40% and that's almost a crime in my book. There should be a law that would require an ABV of at least 43 but preferably 46% for any Single Malt. This Strathisla is usually sold at around 50 US Dollars.

Nice View from the Garden!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: I haven't tasted the older 12 Years Expression unfortunately, so I can't make any comparison. But I'm sure the Palate would benefit from an ABV of 43% as it would guarantee a stronger arrival. The 12 Years I'm tasting today  is bottled at 40%. It's not a bad Single Malt but I find it to be on the Heavy Side. Too much Perfume and Toffee for my taste. I actually got a bit tired when tasting this. It's an intoxicating Spirit but not in a good way. I also feel that Wood Management did not get the highest attention. The Strathisla is highly drinkable but if you are a Chivas Fan I would stick with the 18 years!

The Royal Salute Vault at Strathisla!

Some Data: Strathisla means Valley of the River Isla. The Distillery is located at Seafield Avenue in the centre of the city of Keith, Banffshire. Strathisla is one of the oldest distilleries in the Highlands and when you arrive it's like you're going back to another place and time. Beautiful location as well!  It was founded in 1786 by Alexander Milne and George Taylor. Initially it was called Milltown and, later, Milton. Only in 1951 the name changed to Strathisla. Since 2001 it is fully owned by Pernod Ricard from France. The Distillery possesses a stainless steel Mash Tun, 10 Wash Backs (Oregon Pine) and 2 Pairs of Stills. In 2013 their production capacity amounted to around 2,4 million litres, sold as Single Malt but mostly as part of the Chivas Regal Blends.

The water for the distillery is sourced from the Fons Bulliens Well. The Distillery  opens from Monday - Saturday from 09.30 to 16.00 hours (Easter-October) and from Monday to Friday from 9.30 to 12.30 and 13.30 to 16.00 (November and December).  

Casks at Strathisla!

We visited Strathisla (The Heart of Chivas Regal) on Sunday May 25, 2014. Unfortunately it was a very rainy day again. First we had a look at the very nice Visitor Centre and the Shop. We then did the Standard Tour at 5 Pounds per person. The tour was okay. At the end of it we tasted the New Make Spirit, the Chivas Regal 12, Chivas Regal 18 and the Strathisla 12 Years in the cosy Dram Room.

Jan van den Ende                                                             August 3, 2014

Here's where the story ends!