It is not for nothing that Bruichladdich has the tagline of being “Progressive Hebridean Distillers” for over 20 years. The distillery is one of the few Scotch brands that has earned the respect of both connoisseurs (for great quality whisky) and socially-conscious folks (for giving dedicated support to those who need it in the community).

Not only does Bruichladdich have a cult following amongst whisky buffs, the distillery genuinely follows practices that produce very tangible value for its community. Its commitment to terroir and use of Scottish or Islay barley supports the distillery’s local community, providing an important stream of income to small-scale Scottish farmers. The distillery is also praised for being the largest employer on Islay, providing stable jobs and income to people living on the remote island.

This year, as part of Bruichladdich’s new “We Also Make Whisky” campaign, Bruichladdich is partnering with Singaporean outfits aligned with its vision of supporting those who need help in the local community.

From 27 April to 11 May 2023, you will get to indulge in four Bruichladdich whisky-infused cocktails from The Elephant Room bar along Teck Lim Road. These unique concoctions are crafted with authentic Indian ingredients sourced from the buzzing Tekka Market. We have tasted these interesting cocktails ourselves, and they’re indeed pretty unforgettable and experience for your taste buds.

Why partner with The Elephant Room? Just like Bruichladdich's commitment to regenerating Islay's local community, the award-winning cocktail bar is known for its celebration of Singapore's Indian minority culture. The bar advocates for the Indian community by promoting their vibrant culture, sourcing Indian ingredients locally, and giving back to Indian migrant workers.

We tasted Four Cocktails Inspired by Indian cuisine

Start your journey with the BRUCH LADY, a delightful aperitif-style cocktail featuring the fruity essence of mango (a vital flavour profile in traditional Indian dishes) and the fruity, oceanic, unpeated Bruichladdich Classic Laddie. I found this creation very boozy but also very clean tasting, somewhat syrupy but with the right intensity of sweetness. Han, Elephant Room’s Head Bartender, suggests taking each sip with a bite of the garnish: a refreshing green mango stick spiced with chilli powder, which does strike a great balance with syrupy sweetness accompanied by refreshing bursts of mango sourness, and spiciness.

Next up is the bold GOLDEN GLOW, a spirit-forward concoction that highlights the savoury-sweet taste of roasted bananas and turmeric (another foundational ingredient in Indian cuisine). The cocktail team created this by lacto-fermenting turmeric – a process that encourages the same microbes that are responsible for yogurt and of course, the popular Indian drink, lassi. This is probably the most time-intensive creation due to the need for a four-day fermentation period. The process can certainly be tasted – the concoction has a milky-rich almost smoothie-like texture, notes of caramelised banana, and a pervasive tangy-salty mango lassi flavour. There is also quite a bit of saltiness. There is also mild light orchard fruit notes finally showing up in the aftertaste – something that hints at the use of the fruit-forward Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2013.

The cocktail is heavy and drinks like a dessert, I must say. It’s also a crowd favourite. Paired with the equally bold-flavoured Spiced Chaat from the kitchen – a dish of fried chickpeas, chaat masala (a funky, salty, spicy spice blend), pomegranate and onions – this makes for a very moreish cocktail.

The third item is the smoky essence of the BLACK POTION, a crisp cocktail infused with the heavily peated Octomore 13.1 and the comforting flavours of masala chai tea. This unique fusion is the most complex and exotic-tasting cocktail and my favourite of the lot.

Crisp, honeyed, lightly citrusy and very smoky – think burning festive sparklers – this also has a touch of Himalayan “Kala Namak” Black Salt which gives it a distinctive egg-like finish due to the sulfur content in the salt. The smoky Octomore is a perfect complement, elevating both the fruitiness and the ashiness of the cocktail.

Finish off your evening with the luscious CANDY SHOP that is bright, appley with pervasive rose water notes, uplifted by light notes of thyme and the salinity and light barnyard notes of the Bruichladdich Classic Laddie and Bere Barley 2012 respectively.

Charity Purchase and Gifts

Outside of the cocktail bar, as part of their shared mission to create positive change, Bruichladdich and The Elephant Room have also partnered with local fabric dye artist Crystal Lee of Project Coal – a local business offering hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind dyed textiles.

Crystal Lee has specially produced limited-edition Furoshiki bottle wrap cloths. From 1 to 31 May 2023, any purchase of Bruichladdich Classic Laddie on Lazada or Shopee would entitle you receive one of Crystal Lee’s pieces as a complimentary gift, along with a Bruichladdich tasting glass.

Most impressively, for every bottle purchased, Bruichladdich would also donate S$55 to ItsRainingRaincoats, a Singapore charity dedicated to integrating migrant workers with the broader Singaporean society.

My take

It's nothing new to me that Bruichladdich’s terroir-driven whiskies are some of the most loved by Scotch drinkers. Personally, I’ve also found Elephant Room's four cocktails to be very enjoyable – with the complex BLACK POTION and refreshing BRUCH LADY being my favourites. These cocktails alone are enough to bring me back to The Elephant Room.

Bruichladdich’s Classic Laddie is also a solid sipping whisky and one of the most approachable Islay whiskies due to its lack of peat. If you’re looking to stock your home bar, here’s an opportunity to do so whilst supporting several meaningful causes.

We’ll raise a toast to both The Elephant Room and Bruichladdich for being advocates for progress and community-building!

@CharsiuCharlie