I grabbed this bottle completely blind, trusting that Bruichladdich generally produces things I like, that The Single Cask generally bottles things I like, and that the combination of Bruichladdich and sauternes wine rarely misses. Despite my mixed experienced with Rhinns, the one off vatting of new make unpeated Bruichladdich and peated Port Charlotte done in 2011, I was right about this whisky— it did not disappoint, but the bottle did disappear a bit too quickly.

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Whisky: Bruichladdich Rhinns 12 Year (2011), The Single Cask Ltd. Cask 35

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 60.5%

Cask: Premier Cru Supérieur Sauternes

Age: 12 Years (Distilled 2 Nov. 2011, Bottled 25 March 2024)

Notes: Sweet grilled seafood and meat left me salivating— it was grilled oily Saba with a delightfully sweet and tangy marinade. Charred oranges and burning grass cleared the sinuses with black pepper, frankincense, and heather— mellow heather occasionally bloomed with a touch of floral lavender in the background. Mellow coastal pasture offered some earthy funk to pair with more medicinal herbs and musty hay. Medium-bodied, the flavors were sweet, peppery, and coastal with a lovely blanket of smoke from a smoldering grass fire. Resinous woods and heather faded with each sip as more oily Saba and charred fish skin appeared with salty shoyu, ponzu, ginger, pineapple, and orange. A touch of acrid burnt black peppercorns and bitter charred rosemary lingered at the end with burnt wood and cocoa powder. The finish was long with coastal barbecues, heather, and burnt grass.

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Score: 7-8 (87)

Mental Image: Sea Cows at Pasture

Conclusion: The vigorous peat of the new make Port Charlotte dominated in this product, as if the sauternes cask was an amplifier for some of the dirtier aspects of the malt. It was quite similar to the sibling cask from The Single Cask with more resinous, woody, and citrus elements— but those were more like variations on a theme than any real departure. The cask faded mostly in the background and I was a bit disappointed that it seemed so shy. The spirit was generally well-integrated in this robust affair, though the whisky was still peppery and lively— not a surprise considering the abv. Overall, I enjoyed this quite a bit and feel good about splurging on a bottle, though I likely will not be chasing Rhinns in the future without another decade in the cask.