The kids ask for toys and Daddy asks for whisky. That’s how Christmas has worked around my house for the past several years. Since the holidays are fast approaching, I need to pull together this year’s whisky wish list. Thanks to the interwebz, finding out about new releases has never been easier, but making a wish list with whiskies that people will actually be able to find is a completely different story.
During a brief Friday night drinking session with Limpd, the topic of our whisky wish lists took center stage. Limpd mentioned that he might be placing an order with Master of Malt (Christmas shopping for his Pappy aka Il Duce), so I asked that he put Bruichladdich’s latest release, The Laddie Ten, on his shopping list since I wasn’t expecting to find it locally anytime soon, and I would (a) reimburse him immediately, and (b) split the shipping costs.
On Saturday afternoon, Limpd sent me a text and mentioned that the Wine and Spirits store near our neighborhood had several bottles of The Laddie Ten in stock. Since I didn’t feel like waiting until Christmas for a new whisky, I immediately went to the store and made the purchase. When we pulled into the parking lot, I pointed out the bottle to Mrs. G-LO. She responded with, “You can actually see the bottle from here?”, and then I said, “Of course I can! It’s the pretty blue tin, just under the “Whisky” sign, on the second shelf from the top, four bottles in, going from left to right.”. She was speechless.
So here’s the question: Why all this fuss over The Laddie Ten?
Here’s my answer…
Behind every great whisky is an equally great story. Bruichladdich’s The Laddie Ten is no exception. Here is what Bruichladdich has to say about this expression:
This is without doubt the most important release in our history, and very much a landmark for the distillery and the Bruichladdich team. It was an intensely emotional day, in the Spring of 2001, when we first broke the padlock on the Bruichladdich gates and took charge of this charismatic but much-neglected Victorian distillery on the far west Atlantic coast of Islay.
This spirit, malted from only Scottish barley for authenticity, slow-fermented for purity, trickle-distilled for creamy texture, and cask-filled at 70% for extra flavour, has been quietly slumbering in our Loch-side warehouses for the last 10 years, and we are immensely proud to offer this landmark dram to you now.
The true beginning of a new era.
And now for the review…
- Appearance: Light amber color.
- Aroma: A combination of sweet and herbal notes. Light brown sugar. Honey. Fresh cut grass. Menthol. Some mustiness and hints of smoke in the background. Adding a touch of water brings out a bit of licorice.
- Taste: Slightly oily mouthfeel. Coats the middle of your tongue at first. Starts off slightly sweet with hints of toffee and possibly some caramel. At mid-palate, pepper and cinnamon heat takes over. The spiciness builds, but never overwhelms. Peppery and wintergreen heat in the finish. The flavors linger for quite some time and leave your mouth all warm and tingly.
- ABV: 46%
We opened The Laddie Ten this past Saturday night during our tribute to The Whisky Dog. The ROK, The Wookie, and Limpd each had a taste. The ROK said “That’s a nice whisky G-LO.” The Wookie made his whisky face and voiced his displeasure. Limpd was undecided (he had a Bruichladdich 20, a Balvenie 21 PortWood, and several other bottles on the table, so he was a bit distracted). As far as my opinion, I am really enjoying this whisky. Although it’s from Islay, it doesn’t have the usual smokiness that is associated with Islay whiskies such as Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, etc.. It has some spice, but it’s balanced with some sweetness so that it’s never overwhelming. Much like other Bruichladdich whiskies that I’ve sampled over the past few years, I found this to be a very fragrant and quaffable expression. Me likey this whisky!
