Whisky: Bruichladdich 11 Year (2003) Cask 1114 for The 3 Danes

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 62.4%

Cask: Rum

Age: 11 Years (Distilled Nov. 2003, Bottled Jan. 2015)

Nose: Tropical fruits and wet grass, farmy-lactic funk with cream and horse blankets, clay and earth, oak, and orchard fruits.

Palate: Medium-bodied, tropical fruits, custard apples, guava, pineapple, musty grass and a mellow lactic creamy funk, more black pepper, ginger, oak, and a spirited tingle toward the end.  Water cooled the youthful spirit and brought out more earth and tropical fruits.

Finish: Medium-length with oak, earth, and creamy fruits.

Score: 7 (83)

Mental Image: Snowball’s Barnyard Luau

Narrative & Notes: Funky rum and Laddie malt met on the nose to produce a fabulous tropical vibrancy with undertones of funky farm and earth. Clay and paint developed with more time as memories of pottery wheels, modeling, painting, and glazing all appeared.  I loved the interplay of the characterful malt and cask; I was surprised by how harmoniously everything combined. While I am not always a fan of the Bruichladdich funk (I prefer it married with peat), I do love how characterful and interesting these early post-rebirth vintages are, an aspect of the malt that has become more muted recently.

Overall, delightful.  Bruichladdich private casks can be all over the place in terms of quality— such in the gamble when buying a cask when it is first filled— and this was undoubtedly one of the better ones I have tried.  I was surprised at how well the spirit matched the rum cask, especially on the nose. Things were a bit spicier on the palate, but nothing that a bit of water could not solve.

Image Credit: Wikimedia