The Organic

Once Again Dram and Land United

Islayʼs only organic whisky has now been released as a full scale world-wide bottling.

The Organic follows the inaugural, limited-edition bottling released last year by Bruichladdich. Organically grown Chalice barley was again used, this time from three Scottish farms – Mid Coul, Coulmore and Mains of Tullibardine.

Based on the 2003 vintage, matured in American oak casks (both used and new wood), it was created by head distiller Jim McEwan as a multi-vintage bottling – each of the three origins harvested, malted, distilled and matured separately – for ultimate complexity.

The strength was reduced to 46% with Islay spring water, bottled non chill-filtered, caramel-free and certified organic by the Biodynamic Agricultural Association. Distillery MD Mark Reynier said “This is extra-ordinary stuff. Though young it has a highly individual character: itʼs intriguingly layered with astonishing definition, an intoxicating intensity, extraordinary purity, and a finish that is simply to die for. Itʼs one of a kind.”

Only three distilleries market an organic single malt. Of those Bruichladdich commissions the largest volume of organic barley of any Scotch whisky distillery; depending on harvest, almost half of Bruichladdichʼs annual requirement is organically grown on Scottish farms.

The Organic now forms one of the central planks of the definitive Bruichladdich range. It retails at £34. Uk distribution: Blavod. Exports: andrew@bruichladdich.com

A REVOLUTIONARY OLD IDEA:

IN VICTORIAN TIMES WHEN BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY WAS BUILT, ALL SCOTTISH BARLEY WAS ORGANICALLY GROWN, AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF FARMER WITH HIS SOIL AND THE SEASONS, AND DISTILLER WITH FARMER WERE INTIMATE AND ENDURING. THESE NATURAL RHYTHMS AND TIES WERE LOST AS INDUSTRIALISED FARMING CUT THE ANCIENT SYNERGY OF MAN, SOIL, CROP, LIFE. AN AGE OF SUPER- EFFICIENT BLANDNESS WAS BORN; THE COST – A LOSS OF SOUL, IDENTITY AND DEFINITION.

WITH THIS WHISKY, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR ORGANIC FARMERS, SIR WILLIAM ROBERTS OF MAINS OF TULLIBARDINE, WILLIAM ROSE AT MID COUL AND NEIL SCOBIE AT COULMORE, WE ARE RECONNECTING, REDISCOVERING THAT SOUL. ONCE AGAIN LAND AND DRAM UNITED.

SUPREME QUALITY BARLEY COMBINED WITH A SLOW TRICKLE-DISTILLATION TO DO IT JUSTICE, AND SOME NEW OAK HAS RESULTED IN THE CREAMIEST SPIRIT WE’VE EVER SEEN. THIS IS HOW IT USED TO BE IN A MORE INNOCENT AGE BEFORE THE COMMERCIAL PRESSURES OF COMPUTERISED DISTILLING AND INDUSTRIAL CONFORMITY.

REFLECTING THIS, THE TIN’S IMAGE IS OF BRIGHDE, PRONOUNCED “BRIG-HEED-HER”, THE GAELIC GODDESS OF FERTILITY, HARVEST AND HOME. SHE IS A POWERFUL SPIRIT OF THE LAND AND “MOTHER OF THE ISLES”, SHE IS THE VERY LIFE-FORCE OF THE HEBRIDEAN ISLANDS THEMSELVES.

DISTILLERY NOTES:

THE ONLY ORGANIC ISLAY SINGLE MALT. 100% ORGANIC CERTIFIED BY THE BIODYNAMIC ASSOCIATION. 100% SCOTTISH-GROWN ORGANIC BARLEY. SINGLE VARIETY BARLEY: CHALICE. THE FIRST MAINSTREAM ISLAY ORGANIC BOTTLING. BRUICHLADDICH’S “CREAMIEST SPIRIT EVER”. MULTIVINTAGE BASED ON 2003 HARVEST. 7 SCOTTISH TERROIRS FOR ULTIMATE COMPLEXITY, PROVENANCE AND TRACEABILITY. TIN DESIGN FEATURING BRIGHDE, GAELIC GODDESS OF FERTILITY AND HARVEST. MATURED IN AMERICAN OAK CASKS – NEW AND USED. TRICKLE-DISTILLED, MATURED AND BOTTLED ON ISLAY AT 46% ABV. NATURAL WHISKY: NON CHILL-FILTERED, COLOURING-FREE, BOTTLED WITH ISLAY SPRING WATER.