This special edition was limited to 1,881 bottles and includes a few firsts:
(1) the first Bruichladdich collaboration (with the Friends of Bruichladdich group in this case) outside of the single cask Micro Provenance series, (2) the first 13 year old Laddie, and (3) the first Islay Barley release over 50% ABV.
Whisky: Bruichladdich 13 Year (2010), Friends of Bruichladdich
Country/Region: Scotland/Islay
ABV: 56.9%
Cask: 60% First Fill Bourbon, 40% First Fill Amarone
Age: 13 Years (Distilled 2010, Bottled 2024)
Nose: Funk. Dark chocolate covered orange candies. Figs. Toffee. Cola.
Palate: Instantly great mouthfeel. Cola. Caramelized figs. Herbs and spices. Pruney.
Finish: Spicy. Syrupy. Cloves. Honey. Leather.
Score: 7
Mental Image: Musty fig cola pie.
Well-composed. This whisky weaved nicely through the nose, palate, and finish. Warming and pleasant. Weighty mouthfeel that went well with the darker, cozier flavors. I rather enjoyed the general profile of this dram, and the presence of the cola note was welcome and interesting. I’d prefer the finish weren’t so spicy. While this was good, I’ve had far better wine cask Bruichladdichs that accomplished something more special than this was able to. But I’ll take a bottle if you’ve got one at a reasonable price! Crushable, but not remarkable.
Tasted as part of a Bruichladdich/Octomore tasting put on by Dramfool.