The Bruichladdich 22 was hands down my favorite of the evening and the only one I bought a bottle of, but will not be opening it anytime soon. This is one of those whiskies that you hold on to for a special occasion. Though if I stumble across a spare $130 I’ll be snatching up another bottle faster than you can say brook-lad-dee.
Bruichladdich was built in 1881 by three brothers whose family had been making and selling whisky since 1770. It’s well known for still using Victorian equipment in it’s whisky production which uses gravity instead of machinery to move the liquids and employs steam to heat the stills. The only computers in the place are in the office to keep track of shipments and the like.
Over the last 22 years the distillery has had 3 different owners, a new master distiller and was mothballed for 7 years because it was “surplus to requirements”. Shut down in 1994 by the then owners it was bought by independent bottler Murray McDavid in 2000 who got it back up and running thanks to their new Master Distiller Jim McEwan who had worked at Bowmore since he was 15. In 2012 it was bought by it’s current owners Rémy Cointreau. From all of the changing of hands alone I feel like we’re very lucky to have this whisky and that it didn’t get dumped into a blend somewhere along the way.
Overall this is just plain phenomenal whisky and if I were to crack open my bottle and do a formal tasting of it I know it would be solidly in the mid to high 90’s. This is truly astounding stuff with sweet dessert notes intermingling with warm malt and wood. It’s well balanced and tremendous on every single level a whisky can be. Rich, complex, deep, inviting and still completely approachable it’s one of those whiskies I wish everyone could experience.
Had the opportunity to taste the Bruichladdich 22? Add your own notes or thoughts in the comments below.
Bruichladdich 22 Review
ABV: 50.6%
Price: $130 (Total Wine and More)
Distiller: Bruichladdich
EYE
Caramel with a hint of pink
NOSE
Sweet and deep with notes of ripe strawberries, mild tropical fruit, vanilla frosting, malt, whipped cream and just a hint of wood. While it is a tad sweeter than I typically like there is an earthiness to it that keeps the whole aroma together in a precarious, but fantastic balance.
TASTE
A nonspecific fruit makes it way across the palate with sugar and malt following close behind. Rice Krispies and a sherry like sweetness are accompanied by a light bit of wood and a touch of cinnamon and a touch of mint.
FEEL
Easy as it goes this is the definition of a sipping whisky and it’s clocking in at 101.2 proof. I also love Wild Turkey 101, Old Grand-Dad BiB and Rittenhouse 100 to name a few so guess it’s safe to say that I really like whisky that clocks in around that 100 proof mark.
FINISH
A nice long finish that starts out high in fruit and malt but fades to honey and caramel with a touch of wood.
SCORE: NA – I tried this one at a SoCal Whiskey Club tasting but wasn’t able to spend enough time with it to give it a score, but it ranked #1 / 8 for the night.
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