The Bruichladdich Cuvee Series is a core expression of our fundamental philosophy as distillers. Whisky convention dictates that a distillery's spirit should have an inflexible house style, and that quality is a factor of age. A 15-year-old is better than a 10-year-old... You don't have to be Einstein to work out what comes next.
We reject this mean one-dimensional view.
Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay have once again pushed at the boundaries of what it possible with a single malt whisky in their latest release, which has been distilled from an ancient grain that probably first arrived in Scotland with the Vikings, over a thousand years ago. Bere barley (pronounced "bear") is one of the oldest cultivated cereals, originating in the fertile crescent of the Middle East. The fearsome Norsemen, who plundered ideas (and much else besides...) wherever they went, are known to have extended their reach south to the rivers Tigris and Euphrates and it is likely that they would have brought bere back with them to supply their further expeditions to Scotland as they first raided our coastline, then came to settle.
No one knows what the original Bruichladdich of 1881 actually tasted like.
There are neither bottles in existence nor tasting notes. What would it have tasted like?
The Port Charlotte Peat Project sets out to answer this conundrum.
The latest edition of Bruichladdich's Islay Barley Series, this one from Dunlossit Farm, is released to retail today, with availability online in our whisky shop from 14th July.
The Islay Barley Series is the ultimate expression of Islay, a single malt whose provenance and traceability is as unparalleled as the origin is unique.
Big Daddy, our 4.5 litre Laddie Classic is now available exclusively from our distillery shop. For those of you who can't make the trip over to this beautiful island, we are giving you the chance to win the very first bottle of this monster dram, signed by our very own master distiller, Jim McEwan.
Visit us on Facebook for more information...
These are the DIY bottlings available exclusively to visitors to the distillery.
A valinch, possibly from a Spanish term, is the name applied to a large, copper pipette used to take cask samples from whisky barrels.
Our view is if you have made the effort to get here to Islay then you deserve something just a little extra special.
Valinchs are by definition only ever at cask strength, from a single barrel, and selected by Jim for individuality. Each Valinch released has it’s own label and title, usually to commemorate a specific event.
And, in thick shelter of black shades imbowered,
Excels his mother at her mighty art;
Offering to every weary traveller
His orient liquor in a crystal glass
Links, Infinity, Waves and Peat bottlings are being phased out and will be no longer available by 1st June at the very latest.
