Yet another hotly anticipated new release from Bruichladdich Distillery on the Hebridean Isle of Islay; the first release from bourbon casks bottled at a very high ABV and at a whopping 131 PPM (parts per million). An in a vodka style bottle to boot, what’s the whisky world coming to? Bruichladdich simply don’t care; charge on with the next hotly anticipated bottling and leave the critics bewildered in the dust. The nose deceptively subtle at first, creamy buttery peat, a deep waft up the nose strikingly reveals the alcohol. However the aroma is very pleasant despite the high strength. A little water will help? Most definitely, increased and new aromas of wine coal smoke, roofing tar, iodine and of course peat smoke. The taste is at the same time creamy and filled with loads of peat smoke and honey but still very strong despite the veritable swimming pool of water dumped in. A secondary taste of malt and peat smoke, much like when one breathes in malt dust when shoveling the malt from the kiln. After a few minutes the malt is dominate and the peat smoke is a close second. Perhaps a few more years in the cask will coax out new aspects but at the moment it’s a bit of a bruiser in the mouth that peat heads will love. The finish is very long and is a follow through of the nose and taste, peat smoke, malt and sweetness but the creaminess is sulking in the corner. After a few minutes there is a very slight hint of coal soap however it’s not unpleasant. Perhaps a tad waxy? The finish is long, about as long as Star Trek reruns….surrender is conceded, off to lunch.

Good fun and well worth a try.

C$180

Score 88 Points

Visit http://www.bruichladdich.com/ for more information