GlenAllachie 10 Years Port Wood Finish

”Once in a Lifetime”

Whisky Review # 975

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speyside

Brand: GlenAllachie Port Wood Finish (Wood Finish Series)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 10 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48%
Maturation: 8 Years in Ex-Bourbon Casks and 2 Years in Ruby Port Oak Pipes

Sample received from Jan in The Netherlands. Many Thanks!
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 45-65 (January 2023)

Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay at around US$ 50

Buying Advice: 👎 There are better Red Wine Finished Malts around.

Colour:

Amber with shades of Red and Orange (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Young and relatively Light. The influence of the Port pipes is not overwhelming at all. It's Sweet with a few Sour notes for balance. Lots of (Dark) Red Berries. The Alcohol is noticeable but does not interfere with the Nosing procedures.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Heather-Honey, (Dark) Red Berries like Raspberries, Strawberries, Blackberries & Cranberries, Milk-Chocolate, Coconut, Dusty Oak, Marzipan, Cinnamon, Mint and Caffe Latte.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Apples, Grass and Straw, Cherry-Flavored Cough Pastilles, Slivovitz, Dusty Warehouse, Slightly Sour Red Wine, Forest Floor, Banana and hints of Polished Leather Upholstery.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes as well. Quite Dry. The Alcohol is noticeable and a slightly lower ABV would be better in this case. No need to bottle a 10 Year old Single Malt at 48%.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Caramel, Heather-Honey, (Dark) Red Fruits such as Raspberries, and Blackberries, Dried Banana, Bitter Almonds, Slightly Sour Red Wine, Milk-Chocolate, Pepper, Cinnamon and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Butterscotch, Treacle, Brown Sugar, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Apples, Cherry-Flavored Cough Pastilles, Slivovitz, Wet Stones, Ginger, Aniseed, Lemon & hints of Leather, Espresso and Tobacco.

Finish:

Middle-Long & Bitter-Sweet. Dry towards the end. The Alcohol remains noticeable. A few Metallic, Mineral and Rubbery off-notes. I also find Toasted Barley, Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Bitter Almonds, Cherry-Flavored Cough Syrup, Dusty Oak, Slivovitz, Red Berries (Raspberry, Strawberry), Wet Paper, Milk-Chocolate, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Peppermint and hints of Leather and Dark Espresso.

Drinking Advice:

On account of the size of the sample I only tasted this Glenallachie neat.

Rating: 6.5 (******1/2)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 6.5 - Finish: 6 - Overall: 6.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note did not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. As a result I have decided to use a new rating system as of today. I will still give a rating for Nose, Taste and Finish but now on the scale from 1-10 whereby 1 represents the worst and 10 the best. The sum of these numbers will be divided by 3 to get the final score. I hope this new scoring makes it easier for you to understand what I thought about the whisky I'm reviewing.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink. Please let me know what you think of the new rating system and leave your comments and/or suggestions.

Drinking Experience Neat:

Okay

Conclusion:

The Glenallachie Distillery is quite new and was founded only in 1967. It is located on a hill above Aberlour, close to Ben Rinnes. It closed from 1987 to 1989 when it was purchased by Pernod Ricard who in turn sold it to The GlenAllachie Distillers Company in 2017. Most of the Spirit disappeared in Blends like Clan Campbell, House of Lords, White Heather & Chivas Regal until 2018. At that time a core range was launched by the new owners that currently includes the 10 Years CS, the 12,  15, 18, 21 CS and 30 CS.

I'm not a huge fan of (Fortified) Red Wine finished Single Malts but there are a few exceptions like this Longrow. The GlenAllachie 10 Y is a young Single Malt that received a Face-Lift with a 2 Year Port Finish and a (too) high ABV.  The result is a slightly unbalanced and nervous Single Malt that presents a few (artificial) off-notes, mainly in the Finish. The Nose is okay but the rest leaves a lot to be desired. One dram was enough for the rest of my life!  

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                    January 12, 2023

Speyside 1991 (Carn Mor)

(Picture Credit: Whisky Shop Dufftown)

”Wood I Lie To You”

Whisky Review # 974

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speyside

Brand: Speyside - Distilled 11-11-1991

Bottled by: Morrison & MacKay on 20/02/2017 - 533 Bottles

Series: Carn Mor (Celebration of the Cask)

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Cask #: 940

Age: 25 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 62.5%
Maturation: Re-Fill European Oak Sherry Butt
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 100-200 (January 2023)

Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay. A 25 Year-old Whisky can't be cheap of course

Buying Advice:😐 Well-made but way too Woodie for me

Colour:

Old Gold (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The Alcohol is very strong and the cask influence is obvious. So please Nose along the rim of the glass to find the other Aromas. You will find lots of Dried Fruits and Spices. Christmas is in the Air! It's Sweet but not annoyingly so. A few Tart & Sour notes provide balance. There's a hint of Smoked Meat in the background. It's not overly complicated but it's got character!

Main Aromas:

Sweet Malted Barley, Caramel, Butter Biscuits, Sweet Sherry, Cooked Apples and Pears, Dried Fruit like Apricot, Nectarine, Pineapple and Mango, Red Berries, Nuts, X-mas Cake, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger, Licorice and Mint.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Apple-Treacle, Resin, Heather-Honey, Slivovitz, Citrus Fruit (Orange, Lemon, Red Grapefruit), Smoked Meat on the BBQ, Varnish, Dusty Earth, Straw, Dried Herbs & Chocolate.

Picture Credit: Whisky.com

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet and Sour. The Alcohol is very strong. Sweet Sherry, Wood and Spices lead the way.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Caramel, X-Mas Pudding, Dried Fruit like Apricot, Pineapple & Apple, Citrus Fruit (Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon), Oloroso Sherry, Dark Chocolate, Dusty Earth, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Wax, Apple-Treacle, Gooseberry, Nuts, Ginger, Licorice and Varnish.

Finish:

Medium-Long. A mix of Bitter-Sweet & Sour notes. Quite Dry towards the end. The Alcohol is quite present and the dram almost screams for a little Water to ease the pain! I find lots of Dusty Wood, Spices like Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Ginger and Sweet Oloroso Sherry as well as Malted Barley, Butterscotch, Apple Treacle, Cooked Pears and Apples, Heather-Honey, Mixed Dried Fruits and Nuts, Citrus such as Orange, Lemon and Grapefruit, White Chocolate, Strong Espresso, Charred Meat, Caramel, Vanilla and Mint.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water helps to calm down the heat on the Nose and some juicy additional Peach develops. But on the Palate and in the Finish the heat increases quite a lot unexpectedly. My advice is to drink it neat (despite the high ABV) to better enjoy the Flavors.

Rating:  7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7.8 - Finish: 7.3  - Overall: 7.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note did not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. As a result I have decided to use a new rating system as of today. I will still give a rating for Nose, Taste and Finish but now on the scale from 1-10 whereby 1 represents the worst and 10 the best. The sum of these numbers will be divided by 3 to get the final score. I hope this new scoring makes it easier for you to understand what I thought about the whisky I'm reviewing.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realise pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink. Please let me know what you think of the new rating system and leave your comments and/or suggestions.

Drinking Experience Neat:

Good but too Woody for my taste.

Conclusion:

The Speyside Distillery Project started in 1962 when George Christie bought some land near Drumguish. Production however only started in 1990. Today it is owned by Harvey's of Edinburgh. Speyside is actually a very small distillery with an annual output of around 850.000 litres.

This Speyside Malt certainly shows character but it's too much driven by Wood and Spices that control all the other Aromas & Flavors, even the Sweet Oloroso Sherry. And added Water increases the problem! I enjoyed the Tasting experience but I'm glad I only had a sample. A full bottle would be too much. If you like the profile I would still urge you to look for a sample first. You know me long enough to know I wood not dare to lie to you 😎.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                         January 5, 2023

Picture Credit: Whisky.com

Jameson Black Barrel

”Thin Lizzy”

Whisky Review # 973

Country: Ireland 🇮🇪

Brand: Jameson Black Barrel

Distilled at: Midleton Distillery (1975), Cork, Ireland
Type: Triple Distilled Blended Irish Whiskey

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Double-Charred Bourbon Barrels
Chill Filtration: Yes

Price Range: US$ 25-35 (December 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😀 Okay at around US$ 25
Buying Advice: 👎 If you like affordable Jameson, stay with the Crested

Colour: Golden Sunlight (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

Light, Young and a little Dusty. Perhaps 5 Years on Average. There is an initial waft of Varnish so give it some time in the glass before Nosing. It's quite Sweet with Fruit, Vanilla and Butter as the main drivers. The Alcohol is noticeable. Nothing special I'm afraid.

Main Aromas:

Malted Grain, Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Vanilla, Butter Biscuits, Apple, Red Berry, Cherry-Flavored Candies, Grass, Forest Floor, Charred Oak, Cinnamon, Ginger and Pepper.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Syrup, Honey, Marzipan, Nectarine, Orange, Lemon, Resin, Nuts, Dusty Old Shelves, Glue, Varnish, Mint Chocolate, Tea & hints of Metal, Leather & Raw Meat.

Palate:

Young, Thin and slightly Raw. Mostly Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour and Salty notes for company. Too much Caramel was added IMO. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Flavours:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Caramel, Vanilla, Buttered Toast, Grass & Hay, Charred Oak, Apple, Nectarine, Strawberry, Grapefruit, Pepper, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Toffee, Bourbon, Dusty Shelves, Forest Floor, Resin, Orange, Lemon, Nuts, Marzipan, Cocoa, Herbal Tea, Licorice and Metal.

Finish:

Short, Young, Thin and a bit Raw. Mostly Sweet but with a few Bitter, Sour and Salty notes as well. I would assume that a generous amount of Caramel was added. I find Sugared Grains, Caramel, Vanilla, Toffee, Apple, Strawberry, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Orange, Dusty Track, Charred Oak, Honey, Cocoa, Herbal Tea, Nuts, Marzipan and Spices like Pepper, Cinnamon and Ginger. Hints of Espresso and Licorice.

Drinking Advice: No need to add Water to the Black Barrel

Rating: 79 - Stars on a 1-10 scale: 6.5 (******1/2)

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 19.5 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 20

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note does not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. It would have been much easier if I would have chosen a simple 1-10 rating since the beginning but after having reviewed 950 whiskies I thought it would be confusing to change the system now. I will however from now on add stars on the 1-10 scale so you will have a better idea of what I thought of the whisky reviewed. And I have now decided to start using the 1-10 scale as of January 1, 2023. Please feel free to comment!

Drinking Experience Neat: Borderline Acceptable

Drinking Advice On the Rocks: Okay but on the Thin side

Conclusion:

According to the information on the label, this Jameson matured in Double-Charred Ex-Bourbon barrels. I suspect however that a bit of Sherried Wood was used also.

I bought a bottle of the Black Barrel at the Duty Free Shop here at the Sao Paulo International Airport. I bought it because it was cheap and I had not yet reviewed it. The good thing about this purchase was exactly that. I have now reviewed it and it is indeed Cheap. Did I like it a lot? No. It's Thin, Young and a bit Rough. It's not interesting enough as a sipping Whiskey so I will probably finish my bottle on the rocks perhaps adding a bit of JW Black for additional flavor. I'm not a big fan of the regular Jameson expressions and this Black Barrel does nothing to change my mind. If you are into affordable Jameson though I think you should go for the Crested. 

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                   December 29, 2022

Aberfeldy 16 Years

”Thin Line Between Love and Hate”

Whisky Review # 972

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Southern Highlands

Brand: Aberfeldy

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 16 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Unknown. My guess: Re-Fill Bourbon casks and some Sherried Wood
Chill Filtration: Yes 

Price Range: US$ 50-70 (December 2022)

Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay at around US$ 50

Buying Advice: 👎 Thin, boring Single Malt that reminds me of Blended Scotch

Colour:

Old Gold (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

Thin. It reminds me of Blended Whisky and Re-Fill casks. Sugary Sweet with some Fruity & Floral notes as well as lots of Caramel and Cake. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Caramel, Buttered Toast, Artificially-Flavored Candies (Melon, Nectarine, Green Apple), Orange-Flavored Cake, Straw, Caffe Latte, Nuts, Dusty Wood, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and Mint.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Sweet Barley, Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Floral Perfume, Lemon, Wet Leaves, Varnish, Herbal Tea, Raisins, Pepper, Licorice and Cloves. Traces of Tobacco and Leather.

Palate:

Very Thin delivery. A 16-Year old Single Malt deserves an ABV of around 46%. It is very Sweet and the first thing that comes to mind is Cotton Candy. After a while some Bitter and Sour notes develop as well. I can't get rid of this Blended Whisky feeling. Needless to say I'm not impressed.

Main Flavours:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Cotton Candy, Caramel, Caffe Latte, Artificially Flavored Candies (Melon, Green Apple, Mandarin), Grass and Straw, Dusty Oak, Dusty Track, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Buttered Toast, Biscuits, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Apricot Jam, Sugared Almonds, Herbal Tea, Chocolate, Aniseed, Licorice and Cloves.

Finish:

Short/Middle Long, Thin and slightly Dusty. Sugary Sweet with some Bitter and Sour notes for balance. Medium-Dry/Dry towards the end. I find richly Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Cotton-Candy, Caramel, Vanilla, Toffee, Honey, Sugared Almonds, Grass & Straw, Green Apple, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Dusty Track, Dusty Wood, Caffe Latte, Herbal Tea, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol and Boiled Melon & Mandarin-flavored Candies. A hint of Chocolate.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water kills this Aberfeldy 16 Years.

Rating: 81.5  - Stars on a 1-10 scale: 6.5 (******1/2)

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note does not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. It would have been much easier if I would have chosen a simple 1-10 rating since the beginning but after having reviewed 950 whiskies it would not be wise to change the system now. I will however from now on add stars on the 1-10 scale so you will have a better idea of what I thought of the whisky reviewed. Please feel free to comment! And I'm planning to only use the 1-10 scale as of January 1, 2023. Please feel free to comment!

Drinking Experience:

Borderline acceptable for a Single Malt

Conclusion:

The Aberfeldy distillery is located in Aberfeldy (Perthshire) in the Southern High-lands. It was founded in 1896 by John & Tommy Dewar. They needed a Single Malt for their blended Whisky Dewar's White Label. Since 1998 it is owned by the Bacardi Group. A beautiful visitor centre was finally opened in 2002. The annual production amounts to around 3.4 million litres. The core ranges consists of the 12, 16 and 21 Years Old. We visited the distillery and the visitor centre in May 2017.

The Aberfeldy 16 Years might be a place to start if you're looking for your first sip of Whisky. It's Thin, Sweet, Unpeated and totally harmless at 40%. If you're longer into Whisky you better leave this Single Malt alone as it's way too Thin and utterly boring. Many people would consider it to be a Blended Whisky in a blind tasting. The ample use of 3rd or worse Re-Fill casks does not help either and the ABV of 40% kills any good intentions in the first place. I really love this distillery as a location and I urge anyone who goes to Scotland to visit the place. But I can't recommend this 16 Years I'm afraid.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                     December 8, 2022

Bruichladdich 1993 (WM Cadenhead)

”Wooden Heart”

Whisky Review # 971

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Islay

Brand: Bruichladdich 1993

Aged by and Bottled for: WM Cadenhead, Campbeltown for Bresser & Timmer (NL)

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - 240 Bottles
Age: 25 Years (1993 - 2018)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 49.3% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Hogshead - Cask #: Unknown
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 180-220  (November 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Reasonable for a 25-year old Single Malt

Buying Advice: 😐Woody Woodpeckers might love this one. Disappointing for the rest of us I'm afraid

Colour:

Golden (Natural Color)

Nose:

I advise you to give this Bruichladdich some time in the glass before Nosing to avoid the initial waft of Varnish. The Nose is quite timid and you will need patience & time to unravel its Aromas. You will find Sweet, Sour and Bitter notes after a while. It's also quite Woody to the point that it probably should've been bottled a few years earlier. The Nose is not bad but on the Light side and I was certainly expecting much more from a 25 Year old Bruichladdich. The Alcohol is noticeable but does not interfere with the Nosing procedures.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Banana, Grapefruit Juice, Gooseberry, Lemon, Wet Rocks and Sand, Sea Spray, Dusty Oak, Cinnamon, Mint and Ginger.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Brown Sugar, Bounty Bars, Nougat, Almonds, Floral notes, Nectarine, White Apricot, Pear, Green Apple, Polished Leather, Tobacco, Nutmeg, Pepper, Varnish and hints of Char, Sea Shells and Shrimps.

Palate:

A mix of Bitter, Sweet, Sour and Salty notes. The Malt shows its age and Wood and Wood Spices take over from this point. Quite Dry and a bit Dirty and Musty.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel/Toffee, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Grapefruit, Lemon, Gooseberry, Nectarine, Wet Rocks, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mint & Cardamom.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Brown Sugar, Honey, Almonds, Sea Spray, Mandarin, Pear, Green Apple, Slivovitz, Bounty Bar, Nougat, Char, Dusty Track, Polished Leather, Herbal Tea, Licorice, Clove and Currie.

Finish:

Quite Long, Bitter-Sweet, Salty and very Dry. The Alcohol is quite noticeable now. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel/Toffee, Brown Sugar, Hay, Shredded Coconut, Almonds, Nectarine, Pear, Grapefruit, Lemon, Gooseberry, Polished Leather, Herbal Tea, Varnish, Dusty Oak, Licorice, Menthol, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Cloves, Ginger, Char and Spicy Currie.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that helps to develop the Malty, Fruity and Vanilla notes on the Nose. Palate and Finish do not really show new developments but the Alcohol is much better integrated this way. In this case I prefer it with a little Water.

Rating: 85.5 - Stars on a 1-10 scale: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note does not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. It would have been much easier if I would have chosen a simple 1-10 rating since the beginning but after having reviewed 950 whiskies it would not be wise to change the system now. I will however from now on add stars on the 1-10 scale so you will have a better idea of what I thought of the whisky reviewed. Please feel free to comment! And I'm planning to only use the 1-10 scale as of January 1, 2023. Please feel free to comment!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good but overly Woody

Conclusion:

Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 by Barnett Harvey. During its long history it was mothballed various times, the last time in 1998. In 2012 the Islay distillery was bought by Remy Cointreau (France). Since, Bruichladdich is showing a healthy growth again. The distillery produces 3 types of Single Malt, i.e. the unpeated Bruichladdich & the heavily peated Port Charlotte & Octomore. The basic core range includes the Classic Laddie and a 10-year old Port Charlotte. The annual production amounts to around 1.3 million litres.
 
It does not happen a lot that I get the chance to taste a 25 year-old Single Malt. So I was looking forward to try this Bruichladdich. It was not as good as expected and there are two main reasons for that regarding the Spirit & the Wood. As you might know, Bruichladdich was mothballed several times during its history. One of these events happened in 1995, less than 2 years after this Bruichladdich was distilled. This might have affected the middle-running time through the Spirit Safe as the management was looking for quantity rather than quality. It would account for the slightly Dirty feeling on the Palate. And as far as the Wood is concerned I'm of the opinion that this Bruichladdich should probably have been bottled a few years earlier. You don't notice this so much on the Nose but the Palate and the Finish are totally dominated by Wood & Spices. It was interesting to try a sample but I would not buy a full bottle of this Bruichladdich.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                   November 24, 2022

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2014