Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012 | 8-Year-Old

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 50%

Bruichladdich's Islay Barley is perhaps the purest expression of the distillery's vision of locally-sourced terroir, a single malt whisky that wants to represent the environment from which it has sprung.

Unpeated Islay barley - in this case from the 2012 vintage - is distilled on Bruichladdich's tall stills and laid to rest in 75% first fill bourbon and 25% refill French oak casks for eight years of ageing in Bruichladdich's beautiful surroundings on the shores of Loch Indaal before bottling - without colouring or chill-filtration of course - at a good drinking strength of 50%.

The result is a true taste of Islay's beauty and Bruichladdich's craft.

Attributes

Tasting Notes

Nose: Delicate, light, floral notes and a creamy vanilla with rich, floral honey rise from the glass. Kiwi, melon, coconut, and ripe pear freshness combine beautifully into a fruity citrus style to provide that zesty, sweet signature of the Islay grain and the slow trickle distillation. Breathe a little deeper and the hint of spice from the combination of French and American oak gives a little highlight to the fruit. Be lead into the wonderful depth and sweetness, by the toffee and chocolate notes from the oak. With time more dimensions of this whisky are revealed, dry grass and crushed cereal note. Then that distinctive fresh sea salt tang.

Palate: The texture and mouthfeel for a young whisky is a testament to the slow careful distillation and the quality of the Islay-grown barley. Refined and complex on the palate, the sleekness carries the fruit, cereal, and oak notes in succession as the flavours develop and deepen on the palate. The distillery character – the fruit and floral style are immediate and distinctive. The creaminess and the notes of porridge and rice pudding are malty and rich with brown sugar and dry straw. The fruit notes of pear, melon, and orange wrap around toffee and fudge sweetness, combining beautifully.

Finish: The finish is a salty sea breeze with lingering hints of charred oak, sweet-salty caramel, and brown sugar. The melon and creamy texture settle on the palate and take you to another place.

Character: The components at work in this dram come together to tell the story of where this whisky is from. It speaks of its place in the world with honesty and openness – Islay Barley, Islay distillation, and Islay maturation. Honesty and pride are at the heart of this dram.