Bruichladdich Golder Still was the last of the "Still" trio of bottlings that were distilled in the 1980s and were released in series back in 2006, 2007 and 2008. All were unpeated and bottled at cask strength, and were named after both the colour of the whisky and as a nod to the cask types that had been used, with around 3,000-4,000 bottles released of each. First in the series was "Blacker Still", with an opaque black bottle, which was distilled in 1986 and was fully matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks before being bottled in 2006. The second was "Redder Still", with an opaque red bottle, which was distilled in 1984, matured in ex-bourbon casks for 20 years and finished in French red wine casks for around two years, before being bottled in 2007. The third, and the subject of this review, "Golder Still", with an opaque gold bottle, was fully matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks before being bottled in 2008. They weren't just any ex-bourbon casks though, they were experimental "dumpy" ex-bourbon hogshead casks that American cooperages played around with in the early 1980s. More of a squat puncheon shape than your typical American Standard Barrel, their shorter and wider shape provided a higher ratio of wood to spirit for increased wood contact. The idea doesn't seem to have caught on in the bourbon industry, but at least it gave us this delicious single malt! Bruichladdich's virtually-unpeated spirit from this era was a little different to the current cleaner, brighter style that we now know & love them for, but a fully-bourbon cask matured example from the distillery's time in the shadows is not something you see every day, so this should make for an interesting peek into the past. Two of the "pre-closure" examples that I've tasted have been during the distillery's outstanding warehouse tasting experiences on Islay, and they were both truly excellent.
It's important to remember that back in 2008 Bruichladdich had only been "reborn" for just over seven years, and prior to that it had been closed for almost eight. It was still privately owned then of course, and while their own spirit was definitely coming of age - the first Octomore was released late that year, and the excellent PC7 as well - the team was still largely relying on the stock that they had purchased from the previous owners as part of the deal. Many of the often quirky early releases were finished - or 'Additional Cask Enhanced' in 'laddie speak - in different casks to bring them up to scratch and help move them along, and they had famously exotic names and stories attached. The legendary trio of Jim McEwan, Mark Reynier and Duncan McGillivray were hard at work ensuring that this previously neglected Islay distillery stayed out of the darkness that they'd dragged it from, and they were already on their way to the phenomenal success that Bruichladdich enjoys today. All three of those legendary personalities are no longer directly involved with the distillery, but their legacy is undeniable - which makes tasting a Bruichladdich bottling of this era all the more special. Back then they did have a little more old stock to play with, even releasing the oldest Bruichladdich bottled to date - a 40-year old single cask, back in 2004, but a Bruichladdich distilled in the 1980s is still quite the rare thing. The recent "Rare Cask Series" releases, aside from being extremely expensive, are quite possibly some of the last casks from this era that we'll see released by the distillery. Ten years ago you could find a bottle of this Bruichladdich Golder Still for around $250 AUD, and in the last year or two it could still be found for around $550-600 on the secondary market. Those current "Rare Cask" releases from the distillery, distilled in the same era and aged a few years more, sell for around $1,400 AUD. And it's a similar story with the fabled Black Art bottlings. But that's just a sign of the times and of the boom that we're in, price records are being broken all the time, so we can't begrudge any distillery for wanting a high price for the last of their old stock. Suffice to say, if you managed to get one of these "Still" series of bottlings back then, you bagged yourself a serious bargain!
Distilled in 1984 and bottled in late 2008, Bruichladdich Golder Still was the largest release in the "Still" series, with 4,866 bottles leaving the distillery at a cask strength of 51.0% ABV. As with everything that Bruichladdich produce, it's non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. At 23-years of age, bourbon cask-matured and bottled over a decade ago it gives us a nice insight into a slightly different take on the distillery, which is not something to be taken lightly. The sample for this review came from a generous fellow whisky nerd, who was lucky enough to find a forgotten dusty bottle on a local store's shelves quite a few years ago now. The days of stumbling on to old dusty bottles like this seem to be long gone, unfortunately! Another sign of the times... Anyway, time for a dram!
Distilled 1984, matured in first-fill ex-bourbon squat / dumpy hogsheads, bottled 11/2008. Cask strength, non-chill filtered, natural colour. 4,866 bottles.
Colour: Full gold.
Nose: Yes. The extra cask influence is apparent, with sweet toasted oak and loads of creamy vanilla custard. A little savoury honey as well. There's also spearmint, red & green apples, white pepper and a little sawdust. Ripe tropical fruit and dried lemon come through with more time.
Texture: Excellent. Medium weight. Syrupy, velvety & warming. No spirit-y heat at all.
Taste: Delicious. More red & green apples, creamy vanilla custard and a light golden syrup sweetness. Then white pepper and the toasted oak again. Some savoury honey, dried lemon again and a slight hint of salted liquorice.
Finish: Long length. Syrupy & sweet with ripe tropical fruit, spearmint lollies and white pepper balancing it out. A hint of the 'laddie lactic "funk" here too which is good news. Becomes a little dry then with more sawdust and mild white pepper under the syrup.
Score: 4.5 out of 5.
Notes: Really delicious. What a dram! There's definitely a notable wood influence, and 23 years in first-fill casks is a considerable length of time, but it's all worked beautifully for my tastes. The pepper, mint and liquorice have stopped things getting overly sweet, balancing everything out and adding extra complexity. It's interesting to see some of that 'laddie DNA (the tropical fruit & citrus, and that tasty lactic note) showing through as well, when you consider that this malt was distilled under Whyte & Mackay's ownership and has spent nearly a quarter of a century maturing in first-fill casks. There's no real downside here, from the nose to the finish, it all works beautifully. As we can usually expect from the team at Bruichladdich. What a showing!
This Golder Still was a real bargain at its original price, and if you can find it at a reasonable price on the secondary market, go for it. What a way to round out 2019! Now I need to get hold of a sample of Redder Still & Blacker Still to see how they compare. Never say never, and happy new year folks!
Cheers!
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