Whisky: Bruichladdich 10 Year (1998), Manzanilla Cask

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 46%

Cask: Manzanilla Sherry

Age: 10 Years (Distilled July 1998, Bottled July 2008)

Nose: Funky, creamy, and fruity. A sour funk wafted out of the glass— baby vomit, curdled brown sugar milk tea, and salted soft cheese. Extra sweet milk tea remained front of mind with melon, honeydew, taro, and tapioca balls in the background.

Palate: Light-body with notes of cream, fruit, and wood. Brown sugar milk tea with tapioca and hints of melon. Herbal milky tea combined with funky notes of sour cream and baby vomit. Toward the end were notes of old wood, leather, and lipstick.

Finish: Lingering dryness with brown sugar and molasses.

Score: 4

Mental Image: Milk Tea Lost in a Hot Car

Notes: I was certainly intrigued when I realized that this Laddie was distilled during the brief time in 1998 when the distillery was temporarily un-mothballed. After a temporary reopening, the distillery slept again until it received a new lifeline in 2001. The profile featured an interesting mix of notes I associate with pre-closure Laddies and those that came after the distillery’s renaissance. For instance, the hallmark modern funky lactic notes pervaded the nose on this and then sat in a more subdued place on the palate. At the same time, intriguing notes of old wood and melon reminded me of the handful of Bruichladdich drams from the 1980s I have tried. I am not sure where some of those odd old makeup notes figure in, but as I said, this was interesting— and maybe a little too strange.

Overall, a fascinating piece of Laddie history, though not a bottle I would be reaching out to grab off the shelf very often. I can dig that lactic funk when wine casks mostly pave over it, but it stood out too much on this dram. I suspect fans of the distillery who do not mind, or maybe even love, that milky baby vomit note will appreciate this bottle more, to say nothing of the fact that it is a remarkable piece of distillery history.

Image Credit: The Whisky Exchange