Bruichladdich "Laddie Five-O" Fèis Ìle 2013
Whisky: Bruichladdich "Laddie Five-O" Fèis Ìle 2013
Country/Region: Scotland/Islay
ABV: 47.7%
Cask: Oak
Age: N/A (Bottled 2013)
Nose: Maritime with driftwood and citrus, beach florals and grass, pencils, minerals and sand, wispy smoke.
Palate: Medium to light-bodied, wooden pencils and burning incense, maritime with charred driftwood, sandy dunes, beach grass, sea shells, and subtle brine; stone fruits and pits.
Finish: Long and mellow with citrus, driftwood, and cigar box.
Score: 7-8 (86)
Mental Image: Professional Flâneurs on the Beach
Narrative & Notes: The aroma was all driftwood and seashells on the beach— an invigorating breakfast of grapefruit and toasted bread accompanied by the smell of soft beach florals, dried wood, and minerals. A touch of dried grass arrived with number two pencils, dried fruit slices, sandy earth, and wispy smoke from a wood-fired oven. Given the right circumstances more earth developed with mellow funky petting zoo and grilled mushroom. Medium to light-bodied, the profile started and ended with wood— old wooden floors, a touch of burning incense, and a bucket of number two pencils in need of sharpening. The flavors otherwise went to the beach— charred driftwood, dried grass, sea shells, and soft maritime brine. More dried fruits with a beach floral edge— a hint of coconut lotion at times. More apricot and stone fruit pits toward the end with wispy smoke as the woodsy character reasserted itself. The finish was long and mellow with zesty citrus, driftwood, and an old cigar box.
Did the bottle taste better because it has an autograph on it? Maybe. I still need to get around to bumming a sample off a buddy and try his non-autographed version to comapre. Supposedly the Five-O statement is more than a reference to Hawaii Five-O, the television hit whose theme song is still played by marching bands across Hawaiʻi, it is also the combined age of the three casks vatted together for the release. I have no idea if that is true, but it does remind me of some of the much older Bruichladdich I have tried and I often describe the bottle as a Black Arts Jr. It does not have the same depth and richness, but it motions in a similar direction with its a milder and mellower profile.
Overall, I picked this up on auction a few years back for a decent deal, about $140 including shipping and fees, and I would absolutely recommend it at that price.
