Bruichladdich "Friends of Bruichladdich" Single Cask Whisky Review!

Or to use it's full title, Distillery Micro-Provenance Series, Single Cask, Cask Evolution Exploration!

Which all boils down to this being a single cask official bottling of Bruichladdich, fully matured in a first-fill Oloroso sherry cask, selected and bottled exclusively for the Facebook group "Friends of Bruichladdich" and it's 4,000-or so members. Bruichladdich don't do many private bottlings these days, at least certainly not like they did in the past, but it seems that they made an exception for this group of die-hard 'laddie fans, which is spearheaded by two of their largest private customers and frequent visitors to the distillery. This bottling seems to be a slight extension of Bruichladdich's micro-provenance series, which are a series of single cask bottlings that are often matured in unusual cask types, and are only sold in tiny numbers through the distillery's own website and physical store. Although there are some exceptions, those have mostly been released in series' of three 200ml bottlings, the most recent being the Bruichladdich MP7 (Micro-Provenance number 7) series, but they can come from either the un-peated Bruichladdich spirit, the heavily peated Port Charlotte spirit, or the super-heavily peated Octomore spirit. This particular bottling is a little different, though. This was a single cask that was selected by and bottled for the aforementioned Facebook group founders, in full-sized bottles, at a retail price of 175 GBP. Which isn't exactly cheap, particularly if you're then having it shipped overseas and are at the mercy of your local customs agency, but for what you're getting here that's a decent price. Needless to say, it sold out very quickly regardless!

One of only two Islay distilleries that produces an un-peated single malt as it's core range, Bruichladdich don't offer a sherry cask-matured whisky as part of their core line-up. They tend to focus on either the standard bourbon casks or wine casks instead, usually of the French variety, and that's basically been the case since the distillery's resurrection circa 2001. But like the other un-peated whisky produced on Islay, Bunnahabhain, sherry cask-matured bottlings of Bruichladdich can be fantastic, and they're usually found in the arsenals of independent bottlers such as Gordon & MacPhail, Signatory Vintage and some of the smaller companies. A sherry cask-matured official bottling is all but unheard of, unless one has the coin required to splurge on a few of the 1990 vintage bottlings that were released in the last couple of years, or is lucky enough to get their hands on a distillery-only Valinch bottling. On that note I must admit that the one example that I've been lucky enough to try, the 25-year old 1990/25, was a truly delicious whisky. Most serious whisky enthusiasts are partial to what is commonly referred to as the "sherry bomb", a.k.a. a heavily-sherry cask-influenced whisky often from the likes of Glendronach, Aberlour, or Glenfarclas. Islay whisky is very rarely found in this guise, even more rarely in official bottlings from the distilleries and their owners. So convincing Bruichladdich to sell this single Oloroso cask to a what is effectively a Facebook group must have been quite the task, particularly since the distillery is now owned by Remy Cointreau. That's not to say that the new-ish corporate owners have been restrictive, in fact it seems quite the opposite in Bruichladdich's case with plenty of new investment and no corporate pressure, cost-cutting or shortcuts at all, but you'd have to assume that buying a single cask of mature whisky would've been far easier under the distillery's previous private owners. Regardless of how it happened, it's a great thing and both concerned parties have done very well!

So, what we have here is a 15-year old single cask Bruichladdich from an Oloroso sherry cask, which I would assume came from the distillery's preferred sherry Bodega, Fernando de Castilla in Jerez, Spain. There's plenty of information to be found on the label as well, such as the exact date of distillation (22 May 2003), the barley variety (Optic), plus the warehouse and the exact location within that the cask was kept in (Warehouse 12, location C5). It was bottled at a substantial cask strength of 63.1% ABV on 15 October 2018, and of course is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured - like all malts that leave the distillery gates on the shore of Loch Indaal. It's important to remember that Bruichladdich are one of the few Islay distilleries that mature all of their whisky on the island, and are one of only two Ileachs that bottle their whisky on-site at the distillery. It's also worth noting that Bruichladdich do not reduce the strength of their new make spirit before filling it into casks, where the majority of Scottish malt distilleries dilute down to 63.5% before filling. Which is why some cask strength bottlings of Bruichladdich can carry serious ABV numbers that are significantly higher than most similarly aged bottlings from other Scottish distilleries. The sample for this review came from a very generous fellow whisky nerd who was lucky enough to get hold of a bottle of this very precious whisky. The opportunity to try a single cask official bottling of Bruichladdich is not something that happens everyday, let alone a sherry matured example, so this is a special one!

Bruichladdich Single Cask for Friends of Bruichladdich, 15 year old, 63.1%. Islay, Scotland.
Distilled 22/5/2003, matured in a single Oloroso sherry cask, bottled 15/10/2018. Exclusive to the Friends of Bruichladdich Facebook group. Non-chill filtered, natural colour.

Colour: Very dark amber. Has to be the darkest Bruichladdich that I've seen to date!

Nose: Ooh, it's a big one! Loads of leather, dried fruit and raspberry dark chocolate. Musty & nutty dry sherry, some baked red apple, red liquorice and a slight salty tang. There's a bit of nose prickle, but it's 63.1% remember! Chocolate mousse and a little dried orange come through further on.

Texture: Yep, still a big one! Medium-heavy weight, thick & creamy in feel, loads of flavour and a little heat, but not in an overly harsh or rough way.

Taste: Sherry bomb! Big boozy dried fruit, lots of that lovely raspberry dark chocolate again, and a bit of sharp chilli-like heat although it fades fairly quickly. Some orange liqueur, more leather, and a bit of a musty 'rancio' note found in excellent quality dry fortifieds, reminiscent of cured meat, salted almonds and a bit of mushroom. Delicious!

Finish: Long! A little boozy heat, but behind that is a truckload of flavour - chocolate mousse and that musty rancio note again, more orange liqueur and salted almond. Some dark grape must and a little dank earthy dunnage note - that mushroom & salted nuts again. Very tasty.

Score: 4 out of 5. Not miles away from a 4.5 score either

Notes: It's a big, boozy sherry bomb of a 'laddie, and it's a great whisky! Boat loads of flavour, plenty of character and loads of complexity. A really interesting dram this, and it shows a more aggressive and dirtier style of Bruichladdich that is very rarely seen, and is really enjoyable. I love those leathery dried fruit & raspberry dark chocolate notes too, and that musty & salty rancio tang. I did try adding a little water after the tasting & scoring, and while it did tame the beast slightly I have to say I prefer it neat. The sheer volume of flavour and character on offer here are well worth that touch of spirit-y heat. If only Bruichladdich would bottle something like this more often!

This single cask wasn't a cheap proposition for the overseas buyers, particularly with local customs charges taken into account, but I have to say it's well worth it for the unique experience that this whisky offers the Bruichladdich fan. Very well done to the duo that managed to pry this excellent cask out of the distillery's hands, and thanks to Bruichladdich for letting them have it, and for their continued excellent work! Long live the Friends of Bruichladdich.

Cheers!

Lagavulin 12 Year Old 2014 Whisky Review!

My bottle of this tasty number is nearing it's end now, and I somehow never got around to reviewing it! So let's correct that before it's too late...

The 12-year old is the annual bottling of unadulterated cask strength Lagavulin that is released as part of Diageo's "Special Releases" series each year. It's the purist's choice when it comes to Lagavulin single malt, being bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered and naturally coloured, although the latter two points now also apply to the 8-year old that has since joined the distillery's core range. But back in 2014 when this 12-year old was released it was essentially the only option for an unadulterated Lagavulin, unless you had access to the distillery-only Jazz Festival or Feis Ile bottlings. Like all of Diageo's annual Special Releases there is no published information on the number of bottles released, but when it eventually made it to Australia there was a large amount of this 2014 bottling floating around, and that stock lasted for quite some time. Rumour is it was over-ordered, which unfortunately meant that we were deprived of any official importation of the 2015 and 2016 releases of the 12-year old. Which is a real shame, because both were excellent, not to mention the 2016 release being the commemorative bottling for the distillery's 200th anniversary. A couple of enterprising retailers parallel imported (bypassed the local importer / distributor) a small amount of both releases, which despite significantly higher prices was very much appreciated by the distillery's thirsty Australian fans. Things seem to be looking up however, since there was a very small amount of the 2017 release officially imported, which I've reviewed here, and the 2018 release has become available quite recently.

As venerable and dependable as Lagavulin's flagship 16-year old bottling is, it is held back by chill filtration, added colouring and the relatively low bottling strength of 43%. Although to be fair that's better than the 40% minimum ABV that Diageo could've gone with, and that some competing distilleries did - and do - go with. Those who've been lucky enough to attend one of the fantastic warehouse tastings at the distillery may have come across a 16-year old single cask Lagavulin at cask strength, which is made even more special by it being drawn straight from the cask by the legendary Ian McArthur. But the 12-year old bottling is actually obtainable, so in my opinion could well be the sweet-spot for refill cask-matured Lagavulin. I am yet to taste a "bad" release in this series, in fact all have been entirely delicious and notably different from each other, which is great to see. I'd have to say the 2013 and 2016 bottlings are my favourites to date, but you really can't go wrong with any of them. This whisky easily stands alongside Laphroaig's 10-year old Cask Strength (reviewed here and here) and the other high-strength Islay staples, and it wipes the floor with quite a few others!

When it arrived in Australia around four years ago this 2014 bottling of the 12-year old could be found for around $150-170 AUD, which even back then was brilliant value for money. The 12-year old was largely unheard of on these shores at the time, which coupled with that rumoured over-order meant that stocks lasted for a considerable amount of time. Years, in fact. But the whisky fans eventually caught on and it's now practically impossible to find at retail. Lagavulin 12-year old is always matured in refill American oak ex-bourbon casks, which when combined with the lack of artificial colouring gives it a beautiful very pale colour and a spirit-led flavour profile, not to mention a fantastic oily, chewy texture thanks to the bottling strength and lack of chill filtration. The 2014 release was bottled at a cask strength of 54.4% ABV, the lowest of any release of the 12-year old to date, by 2% ABV in fact. Not that 54.4% is anything to sneeze at, of course!

Lagavulin 12-year old 2014 release, 54.4%. Islay, Scotland.
Matured in refill American oak ex-bourbon casks. Non-chill filtered, natural colour.

Colour: Pale gold. Lovely!

Nose: Sweet, oily and peaty. A sharp, crumbly and vegetal peat, alongside brine, sweet vanilla cake frosting and some lightly sweetened lime juice. Some good quality olive oil, fresh sea scallops, and a little clean mineral engine oil. More time brings out dried strawberries, more brine and lime juice, and adds a bit of lemon zest.  

Texture: Medium-heavy weight, oily, smoky and surprisingly dry. Hardly any heat for the strength.

Taste: Massively peaty & smoky, a dirty & ashy bonfire smoke alongside that dry & crumbly vegetal peat. More quality olive oil, a little petrol (but in a good way!), black pepper and dried seaweed. Charred driftwood and some partially-melted salted butter.

Finish: Long. A little sweeter, with that fresh shellfish sweetness and a hint of that vanilla frosting around the edges. The peat is still big & dry & vegetal, and it's turning slightly bitter here as well. There's more brine and bonfire smoke, but this time the bonfire was given a few splashes of petrol to help it along. Great stuff!

Score: 4 out of 5.

Notes: You're going to have to like peat, and the dirtier- and drier-side of Islay whiskies, but if you do you're going to love this one like I do. Masses of flavour, masses of peat, and plenty of texture and character. I really love that olive oil note too, I don't remember finding that when this bottle was freshly opened. Possibly the after-effect of some of that Lagavulin dirty engine oil & diesel character receding with air? Only some of it has faded though, there's still plenty to be found, which works beautifully in these whiskies. In fact this bottle has held up very well considering it has been open for over a year, although I did sporadically use Argon gas preserver over that time, which may have helped. Either way it's no less peaty or powerful for it.

Like all of the good Islay malts this Lagavulin transports you back to those Hebridean shores on the other side of the world. On a cold, damp day with flashes of peat smoke and salt hanging in the air. Even if you've never physically been, your imagination will take you there. I must admit that I do prefer the other releases that I've tried over this 2014 bottling of the 12-year old, but you can't really go wrong with any of them. It'll be a sad day when this particular bottle is finally relegated to the graveyard. Let's hope Diageo keep these releases going for many years to come!

Cheers!

Compass Box Hedonism Whisky Review!

"Hedonism" - the pursuit of pleasure & self-indulgence. An ambitious name for a blended grain whisky perhaps, but we're about to find out...

It's been a while since I last mentioned Glasgow-based whisky blender & rule-bender Compass Box, a few years in fact, last appearing when I reviewed their very nice Peat Monster blended malt. Unfortunately that's mainly because we don't see the vast majority of their bottlings in Australia, with almost all of their releases being exclusive to a certain large retailer. Since that last review Compass Box have caused a bit of a stir, in a positive way, by bringing light to the issue of "transparency" in Scotch whisky, specifically with regard to age statements. The issue arose when Compass Box started releasing the full details of the component whiskies in their blends, and stating the age and proportion of each component whisky. The problem with this is that according to the SWA regulations, an age statement can only declare the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. So for example a whisky that is a blend of 10-year old and 20-year old spirit can only have an age statement of 10 years, it can't legally state "a mix of 50% 10-year old and 50% 20-year old whisky". So Compass Box had to modify how they were doing things, and you can now need to email them requesting the age details of their blends.

That said, they still publish plenty of detail on their whiskies, just not the actual ages. A quick look on their website will give you access to the typical recipes for each bottling, often also naming the actual distilleries involved, which for one reason or another is not something you see very often with blended whiskies. This 'Hedonism' bottling for example typically contains 66% grain whisky from Cameron Bridge Distillery, a massive Diageo-owned grain spirit plant located in Leven, and the remaining 34% grain whisky coming from Port Dundas, another massive Diageo-owned grain spirit plant located in Glasgow, which closed in 2011 and has since been demolished. The majority of this blended grain whisky was matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, with a small component being matured in refill American oak hogsheads. It's also naturally coloured and non-chill filtered, which is great to see considering it's bottled at 'only' 43% rather than the more usual 46% ABV for a naturally presented whisky.

Personally, I'm not really a big fan of grain whiskies. I usually find them to be too light, both in texture and flavour, and often also too sweet for my tastes. Although they can be fantastic if aged for a long time in good casks. Truthfully I've only had a couple that actually impressed me, one of which was an oddball 27-year old cask strength Sauternes-finished single grain bottling from the SMWS (G8.7), and the others have been over 25 years of age. That said, I haven't tasted a Compass Box whisky that I haven't liked, so I have high hopes for this one. Let's give it a whirl.

Compass Box Hedonism, NAS, 43%. Blended Grain Scotch Whisky.

Make-up varies by batch but typically 66% single grain whisky from Cameron Bridge Distillery, 34% single grain whisky from Port Dundas Distillery. Mostly aged in first-fill ex-bourbon casks. Natural colour, non-chill filtered.

Colour: Pale gold / white wine. 

Nose: Light. Milk chocolate and dried  / desiccated coconut, reminiscent of a 'bounty' chocolate bar. A little sweet vanilla icing, and a hint of pencil shavings under the typical spirit-y acetone note found in most young grain whiskies. Becomes a little floral with more breathing time. 

Texture: Light & clean. Slight heat and raw spirit but not overly harsh. 

Taste: Grain spirit & acetone, not in a harsh way though. A little more pencil shavings & desiccated coconut, and there's chocolate again but it's more of a cocoa powder now. A bit of a let-down here after the nose, to be honest. 

Finish: Short. A little spirit heat initially. More acetone and coconut, hints of tropical fruit underneath. Mango nectar but without the thick texture. A little more cocoa powder too, and a touch of something a little bitter. 

Score: 2 out of 5.

Notes: Not undrinkable, but not really my cup of tea, and I probably wouldn't have named it after the pursuit of pleasure. I remember liking it more on the first try though, so maybe the sample has oxidised a little since then. It's definitely lighter now than I remember it being. That bounty bar chocolate & coconut note is very pleasant, in fact it's definitely the highlight of the whole experience. Still, it's nice to try something different every now and then, and re-assert my love for malt whisky... 

I still like what Compass Box are doing, and what they stand for. They're trying new & different things and they're being open about it, where permitted, and they're breaking new ground at generally reasonable prices. But for my tastes, at around $100 AUD, this one cannot compete with the single or blended malts that are around the same - or even a lower - price level. But if you're a fan of lighter, cleaner drams or perhaps even white spirits, this one will probably be more up your alley than it is mine. I do think it'd make for a nice summer's day dram though, or maybe even a highball. 

Cheers!