...where distraction is the main attraction.

Friday, November 25, 2022

Bruichladdich 10 year old 2008 Bere Barley

And then there was the Big Bere. All the Bere barley single malts I've tried (from Bruichladdich and Arran) are very different animals than all the non-Bere whiskies. And this one is no exception. But with an asterisk.


Distillery: Bruichladdich
Expression: Bruichladdich
Ownership: Remy Cointreau
Region: Western Islay
Age: 10 years (2008-2018)
Maturation: bourbon and Tennessee whiskey casks
Barley strain: Bere
Source: Orkney
Alcohol by Volume: 50%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from my 20cL bottle)

NOTES

Some nice layering on the nose. Apple peels and lime zest. Smoked salmon and ocean air. Caramel sauce and tapioca pudding. But then the palate goes a completely different direction. A joltingly bitter grassiness smothers everything except for a hefty metallic note. A mojito and bitter citrus peels lie somewhere beneath. It finishes with bitter and tart citrus peels, like kabosu and limes, and lots of simple syrup, but even more mothballs.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Having searched online, I've found no one else who had such a visceral reaction to this whisky's palate. Just my offline drinking buddy, Dr. Springbank, and I. Other reviews are all, "Fruits and spice!", which makes me wonder if something went weird with the contents of my bottle. Meanwhile, the nose is great! How does one grade a bottle of napthalene that smells like high quality scotch?

Availability - Set and full sized bottle are scarce
Pricing - ??
Rating - 79