Mention Islay whisky, and the immediate image conjured is usually something smoky and peated. But Bruichladdich has been the quiet holdout in the region, for a long time being the only the distillery that consistently produces unpeated whisky.

But Bruichladdich didn’t set out to stand apart from its neighbours through smoke, but by showcasing the subtler influences of terroir.

Terroir—the concept borrowed from winemaking—has been Bruichladdich’s guiding philosophy since its revival in the early 2000s. It’s the idea that a whisky’s flavour and texture are shaped distinctly by the origin of its barley, the climate, soil, and the specific farming practices of a given region.

To express this clearly, Bruichladdich uses 100% Scottish barley, and often bottles its Classic Laddie expression relatively young, or using less active refill casks, consciously dialling back the oak influence. The intention is to allow barley’s unique characteristics to shine, a strategic move away from the heavy cask-driven styles increasingly popular in modern Scotch whisky. This deliberate choice sparked a growing trend among distilleries and Scotch brands to move towards transparency of ingredients and provenance. The distillery even painstakingly documents the specific farms or regions from which its barley is sourced—a rarity in the Scotch whisky industry.

Cheery-faced Londoner, Mark Reynier, used his influence to change the fate of Bruichladdich (Image Source: Bruichladdich)

Bruichladdich wasn't always so visible. By the late 1990s, the Victorian era distillery had slipped into near-obscurity, overshadowed by more prominent Islay names. Its resurgence began when Mark Reynier, a London wine merchant turned whisky entrepreneur, spearheaded the purchase of the distillery in 2000. Recognising the importance of an experienced figurehead, Reynier recruited the highly respected Jim McEwan, whose illustrious career at Bowmore had already earned him considerable fame in the whisky world. Together, in 2001, Reynier and McEwan meticulously dismantled, restored, and revived Bruichladdich’s Victorian-era equipment, marking a fresh start for the distillery.

The original Bruichladdich team (Image Source: Bruichladdich)

While Reynier and McEwan have since moved on to new projects, Bruichladdich continues under the steady stewardship of Adam Hannett, who himself trained directly under McEwan. Hannett has notably maintained and expanded upon Bruichladdich’s innovative approach, experimenting with barley varieties, fermentation times, and a variety of cask types, continuing the distillery’s legacy of crafting an “ultra-high provenance single malt whisky”.

After an extended hiatus from significant age-statement releases—marked notably by the disappointing discontinuation of its original Laddie Ten expression that saddened long-time fans—Bruichladdich has recently introduced the new Re/Define collection. This includes the Bruichladdich Re/Define Eighteen, one of the distillery’s first significant age-statement whiskies distilled entirely after its revival in the early 2000s. This expression appeared around the same time as the release of Port Charlotte’s 18 Year Old – which we’ve reviewed here.

Alongside the 18 Year Old, the Bruichladdich Re/Define Thirty represents a different facet of the distillery’s history. It is matured entirely in ex-bourbon casks safeguarded following the distillery’s temporary closure in 1994.

The packaging of these whiskies hints at a rather understated redefinition of luxury. Rather than fancy boxes, the bottles are snugly fitted in recyclable paper pulp containers reminiscent of smartly tailored Hugo Boss jackets, topped with an elegant glass decanter-style stopper in a message that sustainability and luxury need not be mutually exclusive.

With this background out of the way, let’s dive into a taste test of this trio of whiskies, from the Classic Laddie to the new Re/Define collection.

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie, 50% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale gold or sunflower oil.

Aroma: Bright, floral, estery. Opens with fresh cut flowers from the florist’s, layered on a bed of soft grass accompanied by very light, sweet notes of candy floss. Very little oakiness is felt at the beginning.

An enduring light sweetness while aroma begins to reveal sweet almond marzipan, light sea spray. After a minute of resting more estery notes begin to subside, and a mild oak influence seems to grow, turning towards honey, vanilla cream and dalgona candy.

Taste: Sweet, malty, briny mildly peppery. Opens with a slightly peppery profile but quickly settles into cotton candy, raspberry pavlova with a distinct note of Chinese-style barley water (薏米水). Although it does initially feel a little strong, the palate settles into a pleasant velvety texture with a sugary meringue theme. Right as the sweetness peaks you get a growing tidal wave of oceanic brininess reminiscent of sweet Fine de Claire oyster.

The flavours are incredibly bright and clean with not much oakiness to be felt. There is a minor component of citrus fruits in the midst with white pomelos and kumquats, and slivers of salty lemon confit and some salted butterscotch.

Finish: Long, oceanic and mildly herbaceous. As the initial wave of oak and sweetness fade away, clear notes of mint and eucalyptus remain on the mid-palate. The brininess dissipates into a fading bit of petrichor.

My Thoughts

The Classic Laddie is a wonderful showcase of Bruichladdich’s signature style — youthful, vibrant and fresh. Rather than a very heavy oakiness that is quite common in Scotch whiskies today – especially those that use highly active casks, its focus on the purity of the spirit is evident, with delicate floral notes, bright sweetness, and a gentle minerality that speaks of its coastal origins.

It carries a robust strength and an impressively oily texture, but the whisky retains elegance and nuance. It’s got that soft candy floss-like sweetness, subtle citrus, and that enduring brininess that create a rather multifaceted experience. There’s a balance here that highlights the spirit itself, with oak influence playing a restrained and supportive role.

The Classic Laddie would always stand as a refreshing contrast to heavier, oak-dominated whiskies.

Bruichladdich Re/Define Eighteen 18 Year Old, 50% ABV – Review

Primarily ex-bourbon casks and a smaller number of Sauternes and Port casks.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber.

Nose: Rich but fresh. It opens initially with subtle notes of honey and light caramel accompanied by a distinct maltiness and cereal quality with biscuity aromas and a gentle toffee sweetness. With a bit more time to rest in the glass, it reveals stone fruits like grilled plums, apricots, and raisins, alongside candied citrus zest and just a touch of black pepper. Hints of hay and oak linger softly in the background.

Palate: Rich, robust and noticeably spiced, although it takes a moment to fully open with a medium body. It initially presents brighter fruit notes compared to the slightly darker nose, showcasing grilled pineapple, fresh white peaches and a strong tang of lemon and lemon oil. Richer notes of caramel, barley husk and deeper maltiness emerge more clearly as the spirit settles further, a mild pepperiness persisting through into the finish.

Finish: Continued white fruits with mild, chalky minerality paired with a subtle briny, oceanic note. Dry, charred wood becomes more apparent, alongside hints roasted peanuts. There's even a faint trace of sandalwood, dark chocolate and a subtle ashiness that might be a cask influence since this is supposed to be an unpeated malt.

My Thoughts:

This is rich and nuanced, carrying the classic Bruichladdich signature of pepper, barley husk and lemon tanginess, while clearly representing a matured evolution and depth beyond the Classic Laddie or the discontinued Laddie Ten.

Age has mellowed out the pepperiness and sharp citrus, replacing them with greater depths of oak and grilled fruits. Yet, it remains distinctively Bruichladdich by avoiding heavily first-fill oak-driven character typical of many Scotch whiskies today. The focus is continues to be distinctly freshness and purity of spirit.

This whisky might not be the most approachable at first sip—Bruichladdich typically require patience—the reward is pretty substantial. Allowing it to rest in the glass for about five minutes significantly brings out its fruitiness and complexity.

Bruichladdich Re/Define Thirty 30 Year Old, 43% ABV – Review

100% ex-bourbon casks – 50% full-term maturation in refill hogsheads and 50% refill hogsheads recasked into fresh bourbon casks after 20 years.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep gold.

Aroma: Rich, honeyed. Opens with an opulence of stewed prunes and plums. Vine peaches in honey and maltose take center stage, a cascade of white peaches too. Peachiness intensities over time, developing on to peach syrup and peach gummies, at all times enveloped with lush honey and maltose candy, balanced by a polished barley sugar character. It’s got great concentration and richness here.

Taste: Silky and rich, with a more matured and mellowed character. It’s incredibly candied, with those vine peaches making it through to the palate as well. There’s a side of nuttiness here too, some chopped almonds, hazelnut and marzipan. Texturally it has a slight waxiness to it, with a thicker and more oily texture. There’s also an umami dimension with a touch of meatiness of charcuterie meats including some Jamon Iberico. All topped off a base of vanilla cream and buttery shortbread biscuits. It’s firm, concentrated, cohesive and lush, with an almost syrupy quality to it.

Finish: Long, still incredibly rich and mellow all the way through. More on vanilla beans, with also a dry toasted oak sweetness. Some soft baby powder at the tail end.

My Thoughts

Just a masterclass in refinement with tons of richness and concentration and a lovely velvety texture. It’s incredibly delicious with a peach driven profile and honeyed sweetness complimented by maltose and that savoury oiliness of Jamon Iberico, before finishing off on a more biscuity and buttery note on the finish - just absolutely banging.

The decadence and influence of three decades of maturation is evident, although oak plays a supportive yet never overwhelming role, never going into dry and leathery territory. While the 18 thrives on more freshness and vibrant citrus, the 30 leans right into stewed and candied fruit richness and nutty undertones, with and undeniably luxurious and silky texture.

@CharsiuCharlie