Bruichladdich 16yo, Cuvee A, Paulliac, 7,251/12,000, 46% abv.

In 2008, Laddie released their "The Bordeaux First Growth Series" which is based on a common theme of having laddie 16 year old bourbon barrel juice finish in barrels that previously held wine from the Great Châteaus for about 12 to 20 months depending on who you ask. The Great Châteaus are also known as First Growth, which is the highest rank of French wines in a system initiated by Emperor Napoléon. However, it is not clear how long the barrels held the wine. Moreover, some people say its unpeated distillate while a few others say its peated to 3 ppm, which is virtually unpeated. Cuvee A has laddie juice finished in Château Lafite-Rothschild barrels.

Nose: light grapes, vanilla, cherries, hints of peach.

Palate: spicy, burnt rice porridge, vanilla, red fruit juice, light wood/tannins, slightly drying.

Finish: short, spice that attenuates at a good pace, cherry juice, slightly bitter at the end.

I've had many bottles from the Great Châteaus and I seriously couldn't tell Lafite-Rothschild barrels were used to be honest. Not sure if using special wine barrels would impart anything siginifcant though. Seemed like a waste. Had this at Bar d.still in Seoul, South Korea.

Grade: C

Whiskyfun.com, Serge Valentin, sgp:362, 79 points
Malt maniacs, 79 points on 3 reviews

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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