Old Skool Whisky from Bruichladdich ~ Tasting Notes

OLD SKOOL Bruichladdich. Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

50% abv. Unpeated. 100% Islay grown Barley.  10 Years Old.

95% matured in first fill bourbon casks and 5% matured in Sauternes white wine casks.

25^th Anniversary limited release.

Whomever came up with this marketing idea deserves a raise… so clever! 

Captivating us all… and what a LABEL! I love it. So cool.

Retro and eco contemporary at the same time. This bottle can be positioned on the shelves with younger style soft fresh whiskies from new independent distilleries, allowing the Bruichladdich circle of appeal to reach even further.

Instead of just calling it 10 YO Islay barley – which appeals to whisky geekdom – calling it Old Skool lets it be viewed through a different lens, appealing to a much broader market, both the geek and the explorer.

Look

A few fat, round bubbles circulate the glass on the top of the whisky upon pouring, but they don’t stay long.

Lovely old-fashioned, deeper golden colour – making one think of the old blends of the past. Invoking a feeling of nostalgia and an affection towards the dram before even taking a sip.

Nice oily, widely spaced running teardrops languorously coating the glass.

1^st Nose

Warm, sweet melted butter and honey. A hint of fresh green vegetal aroma. Can feel the tickling hit of the alcohol buzz in your nose – a bit like I imagine snuff might feel like?

Very comforting smell, rounded and gentle.  Sweet and damson jammy. Coconut – (Bounty bars!) Dusty wooden floors in a hay loft in an old stone barn, on a sunny day. 

A vegetal strength in the heart. Fresh, strong. Takes a while to get there. You need to take your time and pay attention. Fresh raw whipped egg whites ready for making meringue.

Gardenias, very floral. Then the aroma of stock boiling with a mutton flank for making soup.

Back to honey, bee stung sharpness. Wet wooden pilings under an old sea pier.

The smell of the old upright wooden piano at a dance in Portnahaven Hall, years ago!

Boiled sweeties. Eco-friendly furniture polish.

Reminds me of swirling dust motes caught in a shaft of sunlight falling in the window.

Mouthfeel

Liquid satin.  A longer fermentation time can create a more silky mouthfeel, and also a fruitier, more floral spirit – both of which I find in this dram.

The mouthfeel is “clean” – but not in a crisp green apple way, more in the way of freshly washed white sheets billowing on a washing green on a sunny day. And there are wee daisies growing in the grass, and you can hear the bees humming in ” the bee- loud glade”

You can feel the tannins of the barley and the oak at the back of the throat as you swallow. There is a slight puckering on the inside of your cheek from the ABV and the tannins. A nice counterbalance to the gentle sweetness.

A morish easy sipper.  Old Skool whisky will also be good to drink in warm countries – it will go well in a large tumbler filled with ice on a hot day.

Well done, Bruichladdich – a retro whisky appealing to the old school whisky drinkers, but also a dram that can appeal to a wider audience. Brilliant marketing. And a healthy, delicious 100% Islay grown barley dram! Win-win!

 Slàinté mhath