Islay's Bruichladdich Distillery has announced what is the world's first recorded quadruple-distilled 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The X4+18 Edition 01 was distilled in 2006 by Jim McEwan MBE, after which it completed an 18-year maturation in ex-bourbon and riversaltes casks. The whisky was later finally finished under the supervision of master blender Adam Hannett.

The expression is set to be the first in a four-part series, each of which will also be 18 Years Old and combine both radical distillation and cask exploration. The X4+18 Edition 02 will be released in 2027.

On the palate, the whisky is said to taste of wine Gums with fruit confectionery notes, as well as sweet, dried fruits such as figs and apricots, honey, Muscovado sugar and Christmas cake. 

The new expression is presented in their distinctive Luxury Re/Defined bottle, which is crafted from recycled glass. The label, designed by Thirst, depicts four abstract graphics paying homage to the whisky's unique quadruple distillation process.

Hannett noted that this expression entered the casks in 2006 at an atypical new make strength of 85% ABV, and is now bottled at a formidable 63.5% ABV, adding that under perfect warehouse conditions, the high-strength spirit would even possess the potential to mature for a century.

“Typically, we’re filling at 69% ABV, but distilling again and again, refining that character and making it lighter and more elegant, resulted in 85% ABV. The interaction of that spirit with the wood is completely different," he explained.

This quadruple distillation technique is not entirely a new concept, however. It draws inspiration from a 17th-century account by Scottish travel writer Martin Martin, who described a potent island spirit, known as ‘usquebaugh-baul’ or 'perilous whisky,' that was historically distilled four times. This is also not the first time Bruichladdich has tried its hand at it! McEwan first took the initiative to revive the concept in 2006, producing small experimental batches.

These efforts yielded cult-favorite releases, such as the Bruichladdich X4+3 Perilous Spirit in 2009, the Octomore Discovery in 2014 as well as the 70% ABV Octomore X4+10 in 2019.

Quadruple distillation can be costly. "Effectively, it becomes an incredibly expensive spirit, because you’re distilling it twice more. By distilling, you’re reducing the volume. A week’s worth of production would usually fill approximately 200 casks. As you quadruple the still, all of a sudden, you’ve got spirit for about 30 or 40 casks. So you’ve drastically reduced the amount of whisky you’ve got," says Hannett. 

Only 2,400 bottles will be released this month (November), each with an MSRP of £225 (US$296), and is available for purchase on Bruichladdich's website.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team