Bruichladdich 14 Year; Dramfool "Mad Yacht Queen" Château d’Yquem Cask
Whisky : Bruichladdich 14 Year; Dramfool "Mad Yacht Queen" Château d’Yquem Cask
Country/Region : Scotland/Islay
ABV : 54.4%
Cask : Château d’Yquem
Age : 14 Years
Nose : Funky, lactic, and sweet. Pears and gorgonzola, chopped nuts, and honey drenched figs. Floral and creamy notes of fresh cheese, whey, and a slightly funky dairy shed. Sandalwood, slightly resinous, earthy clay, and meaty notes develop over time.
Palate : Thick and sweet with syrupy honey, figs, raisins, and fruit coating the palate. Creamy-buttery notes of ice cream topped with honey and a date sauce. Slight motor oil on the end along with funky meaty notes of Italian sausage and a remarkable dryness.
Finish : Lingering dry sweet honey
Score : 8
Mental Image : Pear Gorgonzola Ice Cream in a Cowshed
Something Similar : Westland Garryana 2019 Edition 4.1 (similar pear/cream, more spice/pastry)
Something Worse : Longmorn 15Y SMWS 7.228 (similar pear/cream, more herbal, less body)
Something Worse : Highland Park 15Y SMWS 4.225 (similar salty cheese funk, more smoke, less cream)
Notes : This was wild and I still can’t stop thinking about the pear gorgonzola ice cream. It sounds like just the sort of thing you would get at a hipster hole-in-the-wall ice cream shop that is open irregular hours, does not offer samples, always has ‘unique flavors’, and whose eccentric proprietor views any questions as a burden— but the ice cream is incredible so you still go and just hope he decided to open the shop.
This Bruichladdich perfectly paired the sweet raisins and fruits of the Yquem wine cask with the distillery’s funky creamy lactic spirit. This had a wonderful mouthfeel, an incredible dryness, and a finish that lasted a wonderfully long time. I do not usually enjoy really mouth-drying or astringent drams, but this was wonderful and the dryness perfectly complimented the sweetness permitted a creamy funk to come through as the syrupy fruits faded off. This dram was remarkable, it was interesting, unique, and good— three things that do not always match up.
