Earlier this March, Bruichladdich introduced a new travel retail exclusive in collaboration with Lotte Duty Free Singapore. The Organic Barley 16 Years, part of a Changi 1st exclusive, will be rolled out to other major airports after a two-month exclusive listing period. This release joins another exclusive, the Micro Provenance Single Cask #293, which has been available since December last year.

Travellers can also immerse themselves in Bruichladdich’s ‘Not Your Classic’ pop-up, situated in Terminal 4 (Departure). Decked out in bright aqua and orange, the venue is prominent and loaded with activities. The eye-catching sheep model pays homage to the Islay heritage. Other travel retail expressions include The Classic Laddie Sherry Cask and the 21 Years. For peat enthusiasts, there is both Port Charlotte and Octomore. 

A Brief History Of Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich’s modern revival began in the early 2000s when a group of investors led by Mark Reynier purchased the silent distillery. Prior, it was deemed surplus to requirements due to the decline of the Scotch industry. As a result, Bruichladdich was mothballed in 1995.

Jim McEwan, an Islay native, was hired as the master distiller. While most of the exterior enjoyed a facelift, Bruichladdich underwent a painstaking process to refurbish the old Victorian equipment. It was meticulously dismantled and reassembled, instead of simply replacing them. Today, production uses original machinery with no computers, relying on skilled hands and manual methods.

Bruichladdich was acquired by Rémy Cointreau in 2012. Importantly, Bruichladdich maintained its ethos and identity. The distillery produces three core whisky lines: the unpeated Bruichladdich, the heavily peated Port Charlotte, and the super-heavily peated Octomore. Interestingly, it is also behind the critically acclaimed Botanist Gin.

Due to its social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, the distillery earned the B Corp accreditation in 2020. It was recertified in 2023 as part of a mandatory reassessment process every three years. In 2024, over 30% of its barley was sourced from 20 farms on Islay. It has also incorporated sustainability into its business. It redesigned the signature Classic Laddie bottle to reduce packaging CO2 emission by 65%, amongst other efforts in renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and conservation.

Calling itself the “Progressive Hebridean Distillers,” Bruichladdich champions terroir and provenance. While these are concepts commonly associated with wine, they challenge the prevailing notion that barley origin has minimal impact. The conventional wisdom is that wood aging is the greatest overall contributor to whisky flavor. As such, barley “quality” was closely associated with alcohol yield.

However, Bruichladdich prioritizes quality over yield and has proved that different strains could unlock new flavour dimensions. It also believes that where and how barley is grown materially affects the spirit. Hence, it has committed to publishing in-depth information on the origins and production of each bottling for radical transparency. 

Championing Organic Barley

One of Bruichladdich’s trailblazing initiatives has been its use of organic barley. While most distilleries bought grain in bulk, Bruichladdich sourced for barley free of synthetic pesticides or fertilisers. This is driven by a twofold motivation toward flavour exploration and environmental conservation.

Its foray into organic barley began in 2003. Its first crop of organic barley was harvested by Mid Coul Farm in Inverness-shire. The farm featured a closed-loop system, using an anaerobic digester for power and recycling waste as fertilizer.

So far, the organic expressions have purely been bourbon matured. The rationale is to showcase the purity of flavours, without the distraction of cask influence. To avoid contamination, the organic spirit can only enter “first fill” casks, including virgin oak, or into second or third-fill casks that previously matured its organic spirit. Organic spirit is also held in sherry and wine casks, but these stocks are used in vattings such as The Classic Laddie, where there is no organic classification for the final product.

Bere is one of the oldest known barley varieties. In Scotland’s far north, specifically Orkney, Bere was a staple crop. Robust yet low yielding, it became the backbone of traditional Orkney Bannock bread as well as local beer. However, modern high-yield barley strains soon replaced it.

Orkney’s Barony Mill was largely responsible for its survival during this time, maintaining a local supply of Bere for flour milling and animal feed . Today, Bere is only grown in Orkney, despite efforts to grow it in Islay.

Interestingly, Bere’s small, hard grains are packed with starch and protein, which is great for flavour. It produces a very dense mash which challenged even Bruichladdich’s Victorian equipment. Its higher nitrogen content also made malting trickier. Luckily, Bruichladdich overcame these challenges to unlock Bere’s wonderful flavours. 

What's On The Menu Today

I am particularly drawn to unique barley strains and innovative cask finishes. As such, I have acquired the Organic Barley 16 Years and the Micro Provenance Single Cask #293. As Singapore has a 1L duty-free allowance for spirits, these bottlings had to be procured on separate trips.

Nonetheless, I have tried the other duty-free offerings and will provide a summary. The Classic Laddie Sherry Cask is a more complex daily dram as it was aged in Oloroso sherry casks from Fernando de Castilla, Jerez, Spain. As for the regular Classic Laddie, its recipe varies across batches, and the unique recipe for your bottle can be checked via its website.

The 21 Years is the oldest post-renaissance official bottling. It is crafted from 100% Scottish barley, matured in a combination of 80% bourbon casks and 20% sherry. This might be the highest provenance 21 Years single malt. Personally, this is more refined compared to the Re/Define 18 Years. As this is a travel retail exclusive, this should be on the radar for those seeking unique, high-age statements.

Back to the two expressions I have selected. Let’s dive into it.

Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Organic Barley 16 Years, from Mid Coul Farm, Dalcross, 100% Bourbon Cask, 50% ABV

Tasting Notes

Nose: Honeyed apricots, fresh nectarine, vanilla, and floral notes. Subsequently, desiccated coconut, Hami melon, and dried hay mingle with oatmeal, digestive biscuits, and a hint of yellow kiwi. Pineapple and a faint herbal undertone enhance complexity.

Palate: Sweet barley sugar mingles with herbal nuances, complemented by cherry and stewed apples. Mid-palate, reminiscent of biting into a warm scone stuffed with dried cranberries. Grapefruit peels, heather, sweet honeycomb, toffee popcorn, and a burst of citrus zest provide perfect harmony.

Finish: Long and soothing, with gentle ginger spice and malty sweetness. Almonds and subtle oak notes emerge. Unlike most pure bourbon cask whisky, this does not have overwhelming cask bitterness. Apricots, apples, raspberries, and a light herbal note persist.

My Thoughts

Overall, it is a cereal-forward dram with a creamy texture, lifted by tropical fruit notes. The precision and clarity of these flavors make it a remarkable pour. As it is a bourbon cask, it has refreshing elements which beckon me to have another dram. Indeed, this is dangerously addictive.

Whisky Review: Micro Provenance Single Cask #293, 13 Years, Orkney Bere, 2nd Fill Syrah, 60.6% ABV

Tasting Notes

Nose: Plums, leather, and savory bacon notes converge with rich oak. Dark fruits, raisins, cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar pack an aromatic punch.

Palate: Bursting with blackberries and dark plums, complemented by milk chocolate, tobacco, and cinnamon with a hint of black pepper. Espresso, cloves, and mocha enhance the depth, while sweet black raisins and a hint of mint bring balance. Viscous and thick. Tannic notes are unavoidable due to the wine cask, though it is tolerable. The barley sweetness remains prominent.

Finish: Long and pleasantly spiced with ginger. A hint of manuka honey. Surprisingly, there is a fresh wine resemblance which evolves into deeper notes such as leather and tobacco.

My Thoughts

This expression is incredibly complex, with flavors that continuously evolve. It exemplifies Bruichladdich’s mastery of barley provenance coupled with innovation. It is not often that we see a Syrah cask finish, and it is a refreshing twist compared to mundane Oloroso finishing. While there are tannins and slight bitterness, it is unavoidable as it is a wine finish. 

However, this is not a cacophony of flavours. Integration is the one word I will use to describe this. Not to mention, this is over 60% abv, and I could enjoy it neat without any unpleasant influence of ethanol. Of course, a drop of water helps the whisky open up. For me, I prefer to let time do the job and preserve the viscous goodness of the dram.

Conclusion

The burning question will be, which one should I choose? To me, there is no clear winner. These are different styles, offering different experiences through their unique characteristics. If you are drawn to vibrancy and clarity of flavours, the 16 Year might steal your heart. If you seek complexity and robust character, the Micro Provenance may offer the integration you are looking for.

Ideally, I would recommend both. Beyond the difference in style, the choice for your daily dram ultimately depends on your mood. The brightness of the 16 years might complement the energy of a lively setting, while the comforting embrace of the Micro Provenance might better suit a quieter and contemplative evening.

At the end of the day, the beauty of enjoyment lies in the liberty of personal choice. Both expressions come with their own story, the journey of grain to glass. And this deserves our appreciation. While we savour the experience, we might find greater joy in celebrating the painstaking process that brought these whiskies to life.