Bruichladdich 10 year old The Laddie Ten
Review by Bruichladdich
- Colour
Golden Medium Amber Honey Tone.
- Nose
Precursor to the flavours you will find on the palate: first, a combination of honey and a zing of fresh lemon. Then fresh, estery air bubbles of banana, ,apricot, peach and ripe cantaloupe melon. The backdrop is a hint of the warm, ocean breeze blowing over the sand dunes and shore meadows alive with the waft of wild flowers - Hebridean harmonisation. Given time, and a splash of spring water, the sweet oak brings light vanilla with a hint of nutty chocolate, with the crispness of warm, crusty, freshly baked bread.
- Palate
The mellow, oak sweetness is welcoming as are hints of bourbon and gingerbread, sherry and sultanas; and as they move on, there are the lighter, icing sugar-coated fruits. It’s fresh and frictionless, the texture of warm honey - then dry, crispy, malt barley; together with the oak they merge beautifully to cradle the lighter flavours, adding the strong pulse to our long awaited Laddie!
- Finish
It’s exceptionally long for a 10 year old thanks to the natural oils from the malted barley still in the spirit. This is critical for the mouth feel and aftertaste, it begs the question – why do distillers remove the very essence of the spirit?
- Conclusion
Dream fulfilled. Rich and assertive with that unique creaminess of the Laddie. The non chill-filtered spirit drifts serenely over the palate, warming the taste buds. It is going to linger with you as long as malts twice its age.
- Note
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This is without doubt the most important release in our history, and very much a landmark for the distillery and the Bruichladdich team. it was an intensely emotional day, in the spring of 2001, when we first broke the padlock on the Bruichladdich gates and took charge of this charismatic but much-neglected victorian distillery on the far west Atlantic coast of Islay.
This whisky, this spirit, malted from only Scottish barley for authenticity, slow-fermented for purity, trickle-distilled for creamy texture and cask-filled at 70% for extra flavour, has been quietly slumbering in our loch-side warehouses for the last 10 years, and we are immensely proud to offer this landmark dram to you now.
The true beginning of a new era.
