Bruichladdich 15 Years Old 2001 Cask 0560 (56.8%, OB, Bourbon HH, 2016)

• Category: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Origin: Bruichladdich Distillery
• Bottling: Bruichladdich Distillery; Private Single Cask Bottling
• ABV: 56.8%
• Cost: ?

What they say:

Private single cask bottling from Bruichladdich – see image for details

What I say:

One of a pair of casks that had been purchased privately from and bottled at outturn by Bruichladdich for the cask owner – offered up for sale. During my attempts to find a suitable buyer for these bottles I had the opportunity to sample this and here are my tasting notes:

Colour:

Champagne Gold (3/20), slow-forming fine droplet tears and long fine legs

Nose:

Sweet and cloying with a mass of rich sweet vanilla essence and custard, a little crisp green apple, dry, chalky, marker pen, Edinburgh rock, malty/bbq beef monster munch, light caramel, dried grass/hay, hints of cinnamon spice, sandalwood and fresh oak wood

Taste:

Quite spirity and zippy on the palate, thinner in body than the nose suggest though the vanilla is there, spiced white pepper, cinnamon, popcorn cereals, slightly calmer – less spirit and spicy with a drop of water more vanilla and naked cereal/grass is revealed but quite tannic fresh oak too, becomes a little more buttery, honey-roasted and smoked almonds

Finish:

Long, peppery and dry, oak wood, sweet and sour – touch of umami/msg

Overall:

Sweet and malty on the nose but more sweet & sour on the palate. A good depth of malty backbone lends this some real umami & mouthfeel to it despite the body at cask strength feeling a little thinner than medium. Water opens it out but also exposes some raw cereal and wood flavours. I like the purity and simplicity of this whisky despite usually preferring something a little sweeter.

Score: 85/100