Taste Testing The Bruichladdich Old Skool 10 Years Old 25th Anniversary Limited Release

Not a year goes by where Laddie fans take for granted Bruichladdich's ongoing success, given that it wasn't just 25 years ago, in just 2001 in fact, when the distillery had in fact been mothballed. And so to commemorate an awe-inspiring, very accomplished 25 year run, Bruichladdich has produced the Bruichladdich Old Skool as its 25th Anniversary release that's made entirely with Islay grown barley (sourced from 14 local growers all within a 9-mile radius from the distillery even!), which also thus pays tribute to the Islay barley farmers who supply malt to the distillery, showing just how much the distillery cherishes the folks who've been at the heart of making this landmark event a reality!

As the story goes, like many other Scotch distilleries who were forced to shutter in the wake of the Whisky Loch (where essentially whiskies were in oversupply, which resulted in a severe downturn for the industry), Bruichladdich too would not be spared, and would thus find itself mothballed in 1994, with just a final brief run in 1995 before it was pretty much closed for good as far as anyone then could tell. Yet whilst this was all happening, a man by the name of Mark Reynier had at the same time been so wowed by a bottle of Bruichladdich he had incidentally won that he would come by on bicycle with a strong impetus to visit the distillery only to be told to "f**k off"! Reynier would spend the better part of a decade writing to the distillery every year asking to purchase it so that he would make his favourite Bruichladdich whisky himself. Eventually in late 2000, that cold steel door would finally open and let Reynier in - he would thus revive Bruichladdich once again in 2001. Since then, much has of course happened and the distillery has produced no small number of cult bottles that have made it one of the most beloved distilleries in Scotland with a massive global fanbase.

Islay farmer James Brown who supplies locally grown barley from his Octomore Farm to Bruichladdich.

Yet, of course as we see with the landmark anniversary's release of the Bruichladdich Old Skool, none of this could have happened without the support of local Islay farmers, and so this one's for them! This wonderful relationship goes way back, with Bruichladdich having pioneered the first ever trial of Islay grown barley in 2004, and hold claim to the title of being the folks who brought barley farming back to the island. They've in the years that followed built on delivering an absolutely sterling level of transparency around the concept of provenance, which in all honesty was rather missing in the Scotch conversation up till that point. These days Bruichladdich's releases often contain a code that allows fans to access an online database that is a treasure trove of data regarding the origins of everything that goes into making the whisky that's being enjoyed in their glass. This immense effort has not only helped to enhance the quality of whisky as a category, but has also culminated in much support on the ground for local farmers, giving them a great livelihood.

And so on this 25th Anniversary, Bruichladdich has announced that it will produce a three-part series of its anniversary bottlings with the Old Skool being just the first. The Bruichladdich Old Skool of course stirred much excitement from the moment it was announced with its label in particular drawing much anticipation given its deviation from Bruichladdich's iconic contemporary aesthetics, with the Old Skool in fact drawing inspiration from the retro labels the distillery once sported in the 1980's just before it was mothballed. But beyond just looking really cool, it's also actually really functional, and was designed to be made out of 60% recycled glass, showing just how far the distillery has come and its deeply entrenched commitment to sustainability.

On the back label of Bruichladdich's Old Skool.

Now the whisky itself is also rather eye-catching, with its use of primarily American oak Bourbon casks and then interestingly a small parcel of First-Fill Sauternes casks, the latter being the famed Bordeaux sweet wine. It's bottled at 50% ABV, which is also a highly respectable proof.

With all that said, there's only one thing left to do and that's to give it a go! Let's go!

PS. Big shoutout to the good folks at The Single Cask Singapore who beyond bringing in their well curated independently bottled selections, are also always the place to go if you're looking for the newest Bruichladdich releases! Definitely check them out, they've great whiskies, superb proper food and of course incredibly friendly folks!

Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Old Skool 10 Years Old, 25th Anniversary Limited Release, 50% ABV

Tasting Notes

Colour: Yellow Gold

Aroma: Very malt and cream driven, with distinctive cereal gristiness. Opens with clotted cream and a bright, manuka-ish honey up front, wrapped around freshly milled grain, oatmeal, biscuit and a gristy cereal sweetness, with vanilla and maltose candy on the back. Then some luscious orchard fruits, pitched between both ripe and green: apples and pears alongside a green bananaand honeydew melon. It turns quite unexpectedly floral and herbaceous, with high-toned white flowers, chamomile and white chrysanthemum, with a rather bucolic touch of hay in the background.

Taste: Fruity, creamy and malt-forward on entry. Medium bodied and slightly viscous. Vanilla leads, then apples and pears with bright grassy freshness and the herbal snap of dried fennel. Some chalky minerality with the malt that returns in a biscuity, oatmeal-and-maltose-candy form. It progresses cooler and more aromatic: spearmint, candied ginger, candied orange peel with dry powder florals towards the end, I’m getting some dried lavender .

Finish: A rather dried, powdery floral register, lavender giving way to sandalwood and hawthorn berry. A spiced warmth of ginger and cardamom. It closes cool and chalky-dry, dusted with milk powder and some faint milk chocolate lingering under the spice.

My Thoughts

This is certainly a very memorable homage to Bruichladdich’s old style!

This is bright, and characterful and has quite a bit of malty and aromatic depth to it. It’s unusually floral: fresh and high-toned on the nose, then drying out into powdery lavender and sandalwood by the finish. I can see why the official notes reach for barley sugar, since it is sweet and unmistakably malt-driven, but what I’m getting is more of the grist underneath with raw, freshly milled cereal and that hay-loft quality. There’s also a very sweet (in aroma, not taste) honey core that I’ll credit the Sauternes parcel with the way the honeydew, manuka honey and clotted cream fold into something rounder and waxier than ex-bourbon casks alone would give.

@CharsiuCharlie