(Image Source: Bruichladdich)

What you need to know:

• Bruichladdich's Black Art series is in its 10th annual edition, featuring a 29 Year Old unpeated Islay Single Malt from the 1993 vintage, matured using pre-renaissance casks.

• The Black Art bottlings are an antithesis to Bruichladdich's credo of 100% transparency with its iconic baby blue core bottlings. Where its traditional bottlings give us way too much information, the Black Art bottlings' recipe is kept entirely a secret, with only the vintage revealed.

• The whisky offers bright and fruity notes on the nose that move into praline, cedar and leather. Orange barley sugars, ginger nut biscuits and lemon meringue pie can be detected on the palate, with toasted oak bringing smooth chocolate and vanilla. Velvet in texture, the smooth finish has notes of tablet and fudge, with subtle tobacco and a hint of ginger linger.

• The 10th edition of the Black Art series is bottled at 45.1% ABV and is priced at an RRP of 395 GBP and is currently available across all major whisky retailers and of course, from Bruichladdich's website itself.

Did you know that at the bottom of every bottle is an ID that you can use to find out more details than you ever needed about every bottle of Bruichladdich. (Image Source: Bruichladdich)

The cult classic Bruichladdich Black Art has now approached its 10th anniversary, releasing its 10th annual release of the series.

What started out in 2012, the limited edition Black Art annual bottlings were designed to "intrigue" whisky lovers with its "mysterious allure", as an antithesis to its credo of 100% transparency with its iconic baby blue core bottlings. Where its traditional bottlings give us way too much information, the Black Art bottlings' recipe is kept entirely a secret, with only the vintage revealed.

Read our deep dive into Bruichladdich, the Islay whisky that was almost convicted of creating Weapons of Mass Destruction!

(Image Source: Bruichladdich)

“As a whisky brand committed to giving our customers as much information as we possibly can, our Black Art series is a real leap of faith.”

The creative freedom I have when creating this single malt is a privilege. It allows me to take risks and explore the realms of possibility. Whisky making relies on the harmonious marriage between cask and spirit, and Black Art 10 is a celebration of the extraordinary things that can happen when we abandon the detail and simply appreciate and enjoy the flavour.”

- Adam Hannett, Head Distiller of Bruichladdich and only person who knows the Black Art recipe

For the 10th release, the 1993 vintage Black Art bottling features an unpeated 29 Year Old single malt that was created using pre-renaissance casks from the Islay distillery that been matured exclusively on Islay for almost three decades.

(Image Source: Bruichladdich)

Official Tasting Notes

Color

Mahogany

Aroma

Warm and inviting, a bright fruity note welcomes you. The fragrant toasted oak brings chocolate praline, cedar, leather and subtle hints of clove and nutmeg, before moving to fruit notes of sweet apricot jam, ripe melon, dark cherries and blackcurrants.

There is a light touch of citrus with lemon zest and gooseberries dipped in honey, with delicate floral notes of geranium and honeysuckle balanced with a hint of iodine and leather.

Taste

Orange barley sugars, ginger nut biscuits and lemon meringue pie are followed by sweet apricot jam and marzipan. The toasted oak brings smooth chocolate and vanilla notes, beautifully complemented with syrupy fruit, raisins, plum and melon.

Over time, iodine and a hint of coconut come through, with delicate oak spices of warming ginger and cinnamon. A velvet texture, the depth and balance of this single malt glides across the palate.

Finish

Tablet and smooth fudge bring a softness to the finish, while ripe soft fruits, subtle tobacco and a hint of ginger linger.

The 10th edition of the Black Art series is bottled at 45.1% ABV and is priced at an RRP of 395 GBP and is currently available across all major whisky retailers and of course, from Bruichladdich's website itself.

 Kanpai!

@111hotpot