Bruichladdich 21 year old

Bruichladdich 21 year old

Region: Islay

ABV: 50.0%

Price: £220.00

The Bruichladdich 21 Year Old, is part of their *Luxury Redefined* range—a permanent line-up of high-age whiskies. It’s an unpeated whisky the distillery claims has a strong focus on sustainability, featuring is an innovative outer wrap made from recyclable paper pulp. This eco-friendly packaging moulds to the bottle’s shape and is produced using 100% green energy.

It was made from 100% Scottish barley and aged in a mix of 80% bourbon casks and 20% sherry casks. If you’re looking for a bottle they’re sold exclusively in duty free.

Nose

On the nose, this whisky starts off quite sweet, reminiscent of marshmallows and Oreos. There are also notes of wax and a hint of warehouse must. It brings to mind Vanilla Coca-Cola and Play-Doh, along with caramelised brown sugar and burnt toffee. Sitting with it cranberry juice and figs appear alongside sea spray and pebbles. As it opens further a pronounced citrus character develops, featuring lemon and orange juice.

Palate

On the palate, this whisky showcases notes of orange juice and pineapple, accompanied by lemon sherbet, vanilla bon bons, and marmalade. Toffee apples add a rich sweetness. The mouthfeel is pleasing with a slightly coastal hint, and the finish is of good length, where sweetness and a warming spice from pepper lingers. It’s an exceptionally easy-to-drink dram, striking a great balance between ABV and sweetness.

Nose (with water)

Adding water to the nose enhances the citrus notes, bringing forward orange peel along with lemon and lime fruit pastilles. There's a noticeable increase in warehouse must, accompanied by sweet scents of caramel sauce, butterscotch ice cream, barley sugars, and fudge.

Palate (with water)

Adding water to the palate intensifies the heat and spice, still most noticeable as pepper, while bringing forward more caramel and fudge notes, accompanied by a slight dryness. Personally, we find it better without water, as the addition also introduces a bit more bitter dark chocolate. Despite these changes, the mouthfeel and finish remain good even with water.

Conclusion

This is a very well-balanced dram that displays lovely notes both with and without water, and one that hasn’t suffered from a slight dilution to its ABV. It’s also a notch above the 18yo Laddie release, while just edging out the Port Charlotte 18 in our opinion.

Score: 8/10

Value

While it's definitely not inexpensive, it is competitively priced compared to most other 21-year-old releases on the market.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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