A Most Wonderful October To You Fellow WhiskyLover
If you haven’t done so, you owe it to yourself to read the two most recent articles on FWL: Ian Buxton’s article on the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence proramme, and Caroline Dewar’s insightful take on the critical role blended whiskies still play in the Scotch Whisky industry. Both are delightful reads…
I’m suffering today from a major case of “morning after” syndrome. Last night, I tortured myself by flipping back and forth between my Yankees getting beat again by the Tigers, and Obama vs. Romney II.
The Yanks, with their $195,998,004 payroll, would be pummeled by Helen Keller HS they way they are playing…and I found the debate, complete with mud-slinging, refusal of both candidates to actually answer a question, bickering like an old married couple and complete break down in civility embarrassing and unbecoming for a nation as great as ours. It’s enough to make you turn off national news, and focus completely on local teams and local politics.
So with the desire to emphasize what can be done on a local level, we found a whisky that was produced with the same mission: doing good locally. Bruichladdich’s recently released Islay Barley 2006 Dunlossit Farm Ceannacroic Whisky.
With the focus these days on production efficiency and sourcing raw material globally, the real sense of place…the terroir from which Scotch whisky originated, has been lost. For example, evidence of Islay’s earliest farmers dating to 8,000 BC, was discovered on the island only last year. By the mid 1800’s, over 4000 acres of malting barley were grown on Islay, but due to The Great War (WWI for those under 50) and its Islay casualties, the yield collapsed to zero by the mid 20th Century.
The chaps at Bruichladich have set out to rectify this with The Islay Barley Series: single malts produced from barley sown and grown on the Isle of Islay, conceived as Bruichladdich’s ultimate expression of whisky from Islay. The provenance and traceability of these single malts is as unparalleled as the origin is unique, and the first single malt whiskies in a century to be exclusively Islay produced: from barley to barrel to bottle
The iniative by Bruichladdich, to re-establish the cereal on the island, has resulted in 800-1000 tons (a quarter of the Victorian era yield) is now harvested for Bruichladdich.
For this latest edition of Bruichladdich’s Islay Barley Series, the unpeated barley was sourced from from Dunlossit Farm, located in a desolate place known as the ‘headland of the the gallows’. This lonely field is a rare patch of fertility amongst the barren, rocky outcrops and peat bogs tilled continually since Neolithic times.
In this remote, unsullied earth, Chalice barley was grown by farmer Jim Logan in what is now called the Jubilee field (Queen Victoria’s, not Elizabeth’s), on Dunlossit land owned by Bruno Schroder, a Bruichladdich shareholder. The Dunlossit Farm barley was harvested in September 2006 and distilled eight weeks later into Bruichladdich whisky, then warehoused and matured, and finally bottled still on the Hebridean island at Bruichladdich Distillery.
Jim McEwan, Bruchladdich’s Head Distiller describes “The texture of this amazing spirit is incredibly smooth for such a youngster. The mouth feel is irresistible: It’s fresh and zesty with the quality of the Islay-grown Barley unrestrained by the presence of a long relationship with the oak….This whisky is walking sunshine…summer in a glass…it has Islay charm with the most seductive texture I have ever experienced.”
The 2006 Dunlossit Farm Ceannacroic Whisky is non chill-filltered, colouring-free, and was bottled at 50% ABV. It is an extremely limited production whisky, and really really hard to find. But thanks to our man Nicky The Neck, who takes great pride in “getting involved at the local level”, we’ve been able to secure more than our fair share.
So we’re excited to also do our part locally by offering you the opportunity to purchase a bottle of Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2006 Dunlossit Farm Ceannacroic Whisky for $69.95/bottle.
But as always, the supply is extremely limited…and once its gone, it’s gone.
Until next week…I wish you high spirits!
Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com
BRUICHLADDICH ISLAY BARLEY 2006 DUNLOSSIT FARM CEANNACROIC SINGLE MALT WHISKY
JIM MCEWAN’S TASTING NOTES
COLOR: Brilliant, luminous lemon with a harvest gold hue
NOSE: Aromas of yellow flowers in bloom on forest river-banks and heather-covered Moorlands, orchards filled with ripe fruits, all embraced by the warm, westerly ocean breeze. This is the beauty of young Bruichladdich spirit; you can reach into its soul and transport yourself to this amazing island simply by closing your eyes and inhaling. It’s a remarkable harmonious bouquet.
PALATE: The olfactory concentration continues onto the palate. On tasting, a squeeze of lemon, honey, pear and green apple, little hints of tangerine, chocolate, light notes of marzipan, cinnamon and sweet, oaky vanilla. The harmonious freshness of barley and wild flowers rising on that irresistible marine presence unique to the islands of Scotland. The taste buds rejoice in the warmth of the spirit and the sweetness of the malt.
FINISH: The finish is outstanding. How can you say good-bye to a kid that’s stolen your heart with his beauty and honesty. It’s difficult, but it’s not good-bye. Because as you enjoy the final drops, John Logan, the farmer at Dunlossit, is about to start plowing for this years harvest – Dream Fulfilled!
