Bruichladdich 16 Year (2005), Friends of Bruichladdich Cask 0977 for Fèis Ìle 2022
Whisky: Bruichladdich 16 Year (2005), Friends of Bruichladdich Cask 0977 for Fèis Ìle 2022
Country/Region: Scotland/Islay
ABV: 63.8%
Cask: Sauternes Cask 0977
Age: 16 Years (Distilled 18 July 2005, Bottled 31 May 2022)
Nose: Earthy and musty with cow patties, bison dung, horse blankets, and worn straw; nuttiness with time as walnuts, pecans, caramel, and wood polish arrived, grilled game meat, spoiled fruit, hints of anise, fennel root, Karo syrup, subtle burning pine and dried grass.
Palate: Medium-bodied, oily, earthy musty, mushroom, game meat, cow patties, engine grease, hazelnut, burning candles, sulfur, sour fruits and funk at the end, dried grass, bison beds, smoked nori, burnt popcorn, wet leather.
Finish: Medium to long with a sweet earthy funk, smoked nori chips.
Score: 4
Mental Image: Field Trip on the Prairie
Narrative & Notes: A good friend, who graciously offered a sample of this bottle (or maybe he thought I was gracious for accepting some of it), described this as “fart laddie.” A description, along with “dirty diapers,” I got from a few others who had also tried the whisky. While it has some fans on Whiskybase, many seemed to question how and why this was bottled for Fèis Ìle? I was eager to try it as it is relatively rare I encounter something that is an absolute train wreck of a whisky.
I actually really enjoyed some of the elements here and those that know me, or have read through enough of these reviews, will not be surprised to find out that the whisky triggered some charming nostalgia. I could never quite pinpoint whether it reminded me of the mustiness of my Grandfather’s backyard shed, the perfect place for a young boy to hunt for treasure (or tools for digging for treasure). Or whether it was something more like the bison paddocks and petting zoo pens at Oklahoma’s Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve— one of my absolute favorite field trip sites as a child.
My wife was not an enthusiast of this malt, but she reckoned it was much better than expected. Despite the high proof, the alcohol was well-integrated, though that will not matter much if the whisky already sounds disgusting. Those with a sensitivity to sulfur should absolutely skip this one, but if you love a really dirty whisky with loads of competing types of funk and earth— this might be for you.
