Whisky : Bruichladdich 10 Year “The Laddie Ten” (1st Edition)

Country/Region : Scotland/Islay

ABV : 46%

Cask : Ex-Bourbon, Pedro Ximenéz Sherry, French wine

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Home.

Nose : Bright and fresh with lemon zest and wood polish. A cheesy funk comes out as it rests; the smell of a wooden cheese board after all the cheese is gone, or the scent of fresh pasta covered in a mound of melting cheese.

Palate : Lemon and lime rind pop out first followed by the mellow spice of a ginger beer. The body is smooth and oily thickly coating the palate. There is an odd cola note that pops out occasionally. I am left wondering how this works in a highball since it has some classic soda flavors.

Finish : Much shorter than I expected considering the rich body. There was just a bit of the oily mouthfeel hanging out— just enough so that you know you are drinking scotch, but not enough to really keep your interest between sips.

Score : 3

Mental Image : A steaming bowl of cacio a pepe sitting right in front of me— but then I wake up and realize it was just a dream. 

Notes : I love the peatier Bruichladdichs: Port Charlotte and Octomore. So I have always been a little curious about their core lineup of unpeated Islay spirit— the original focus of the distillery before they began their drift into deeper and darker peaty experimentations just under two decades ago. While I found a number of the funky flavor notes that I always enjoy in those peatier expressions from Bruichladdich, it is probably apparent from my grade that I was not taken with this. It has some interesting and fun notes and I certainly am curious how drinks in a highball, but overall it did not make much of an impression. The absence of peat, meat, and smoke left the dram feeling a bit weak and unfulfilling. If you‘re not really a fan of peat, but love ginger-citrus notes, this (or the more available 10 year expressions) might be a great dram to try out. It has not totally turned me off Bruichladdich, my love of Port Charlotte keeps me firmly a fan and ensures that I will make time to explore more of the unpeated side of Bruichladdich.