NOSE Stunning on the nose. The freshness and purity of the spirit are striking. First, citrus and honey notes emerge before stoned fruit, dried apricot, and the perfume of ripe peaches. Next, there are sweet notes of marzipan, yellow flowers and vanilla pods, followed by zephyrs of spice and marine breeze. The oak notes elevate as the vanilla and caramel come to the fore with gentle hints of ginger cake and syrup add to the anticipation of tasting.
TASTE The delicate sweetness pairs with a velvet texture on the palate straight away. Sweet, ripe stoned fruit leads into vanilla, caramel and brown sugar notes. This vintage of Islay Barley is bottled at just the right moment to capture the DNA of our island and the whisky we distil on its shores. Add a touch of water and watch as the natural oils react in the glass, releasing outstanding floral notes of hawthorn and heather to add to the complexity and depth of this remarkable Ileach.
FINISH The finish is a testament to the quality of distillation. The expression of that marine tang with the sweet citrus and honeyed oaked notes tells the story of our whisky and where it comes from. Natural whisky with no chill filtration means you will experience as long and gentle a finish as you ever thought possible.
CHARACTER Taking your time to explore this dram has intense value. Its complexity and honesty speak true to the classic Bruichladdich style. The purity and freshness, delicate oak sweetness, fruit expression, and gentle floral tones make it a vintage to remember. It may well be unforgettable.
Nineteen different farming partners have taken on the challenge of growing malting barley on Islay. What started as an exploration of an island terroir has evolved into supporting a community whose industry has shifted from fishing and farming to distilling.
Our Islay barley series has always been on a mission. For many years now, we’ve sought to showcase the phenomenon of “terroir” in single malt whisky – the belief that soil, climate, micro-climate, geographic orientation, natural influences, and local weather systems will influence the quality and flavour profile of the spirit, making it a unique expression of “place”. Nowhere is this philosophy more important to us than here on Islay. Surely the conditions here on this westerly rock at the edge of the Atlantic must bring something extra to the barley and to our expressive, floral single malt whisky? Surely the airborne salt spray that washes the fields and our warehouses must leave its mark on cask and liquid? This 2013 Islay Barley release is distilled from barley grown on seven farms from across our small island. The spirit has been matured in a mix of 75% first fill American and 25% second fill European oak. This specific recipe allows a balance between the oak and barley forward spirit. Never dominating this true expression of the Isle of Islay.
PRODUCT SPECS:
BARLEY PROVENANCE: 100% ISLAY GROWN BARLEY. CONCERTO VARIETAL.
MALTING: UNPEATED.
YEAST STRAIN: MAURI AND KERRY.
DISTILLATION: DISTILLED IN 2013, SINGLE VINTAGE EXPRESSION.
AGE: 8 AGED YEARS.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS MATURATION PROFILE: 75% FULL TERM FIRST FILL AMERICAN WHISKEY CASKS 25% SECOND FILL EUROPEAN WINE CASKS. A COMBINATION OF RIBERA DEL DUERO, SYRAH AND PAUILLAC.
BOTTLING: ISLAY SPRING WATER, NON-CHILL FILTERED AND COLOURING FREE.
