The best whiskies Islay has to offer
Bruichladdich (brook-lad-ee) is one of the most exciting and interesting distilleries producing single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery is found on the island of Islay, on the Scottish west coast. They market themselves as “progressive Hebridean distillers” – and if you taste their whisky, you will see why. It is Islay’s only privately owned single malt whisky distillery.
The distillery was built in 1881 and at the time it was a state of the art distillery, unlike anything seen on Islay at the time. Until then distilleries on Islay, and for much the part in the whole of Scotland evolved from farms to become whisky producing enterprises. However the Bruichladdich distillery was purpose build for single malt whisky production.
The distillation process is unique also at Bruichladdich. Wodden vats are used allowing for a longer, slower and more gentle fermentation than steel. At Bruichladdich they use half the usual volume of yeast and ferment for twice as long. The whisky is then distilled in a 130-year-old 6 metre wash still. This is the oldest working still in Scotland.
Here are some of the best and rarest Bruichladdich single malt whiskies that are produced there. These are also collectors items because they are becoming harder and harder to find. Click here for more information in Islay single malt whiskies.
Bruichladdich 1973 / 30 Year Old
This is becoming increasing hard to find because only 4200 bottles were released in 2003. This is a superb example of what Bruichladdich is about just now. It has been described as having “superb balance and complexity. A belter”
Even though this is a mature whisky it retains a nicely balanced flavour. There are some floral notes and saltiness coming through, with some vanilla, truffle, nougat foundation. However it’s not a heavy single malt Scotch whisky as it still maintains a lighter side to it.
Buy Bruichladdich 1973 online for £350.00
Bruichladdich 1967 32 Year Old Sherry Cask
This fantastic single malt Scotch whisky spent 32 years in a sherry cask before being bottled. This single malt was distilled 1967. It comes in a beautiful wooden presentation box.
This is a 70cl bottle. 48% vol.
Each bottle is numbered individually from cask Nr. 968
Buy Bruichladdich 1967 online for £499.00
Bruichladdich Rare 21 year old Single Malt
This is a truly rare find – it was bottled which the distillery was still under Whyte and Mackay’s ownership. This is a 21year old single malt released in the 1980s. There’s not many pieces of history left.
This is a 75cl bottle. 43% vol.
If you are serious collector of single malt whisky, then make sure that you have this in your collection.
Buy Bruichladdich 21 year old online for £199.00
Bruichladdich 17 year old Rare Single Malt
Bottled by a small independent bottler in the 1980s this is a very rare single malt whisky. The label has a map of Islay on it and it keeps the vintage look of old whiskies.
The bottle is 75cl. 40& vol.
Buy Bruichladdich 17 year old online for £225.00
Bruichladdich 1966 Year Old Single Malt / Douglas Laing
The Old Malt Cask range by Douglas Laing is becoming more and more popular. This offering from them is a release of a 35 year old Bruichladdich single malt Scotch whisky. What makes this unique is that it was bottled just before the distillery switched to purchasing malted barley rather than doing the matling themselves. This is a never to be tasted again single malt whisky. So this makes it very rare indeed!
The bottle is 70cl. 40.5% vol.
Buy Bruichladdich 35 year old online for £499.00
Islay produces some of the best examples of Scottish whisky and the single malts that come from the island are superb. Bruichladdich has established itself a producer of some excellent single malts with many diverse single malts to choose from. They are the only Islay single malt distillers to produce some un-peated single malts.