Bruichladdich 18 Year (2004), Re/Define
Bourbon, Sauternes, and Port casks
50%
Nose: Quite lemon-sweet over glazed, doughy notes. Slightly astringent. Faint orange creamsicle.
Palate: Peppery and malty, lemon, cream. Honeysuckle.
Finish: A puff of char as the palate transitions. That astringent note tickles around in the palate but really builds in the finish. Mildly dank.
Score: 3.5/5
Mental Image: European Vacation.
A lovely, natural extension from the Classic Laddie. The price tag isn’t justified, but it has some Laddie greatness shining through. On the downside, a woody bitterness kind of sours the experience, and I found the heat a bit distracting. The rest is solid, if toned down, Laddie.
The Glenburgie I last reviewed had an SMWS name “European Vacation”. I find that much more fitting for this. Sipping some kind of smoky, dank limoncello cocktail watching a classic ferrari drive over cobbles in a quaint town. Bright, but old money.