Bruichladdich Rocks is made from a blend of 6-9 year old single malts that were then aged for about 9 months in French red wine casks which gives the usually yellow single malt a bit of a rosy hue. What kind of French red wine casks? I’m so glad you asked, it’s French Mourvèdre Syrah red wine casks which is wine blended from Mourvèdre and Syrah grapes and is popular in the south of France.
I love wine. It’s my second love in the world of beverage alcohol with beer coming in a very close 3rd and I looooove me some good Syrah but, at least to my knowledge, I’ve never had this particular style of blend so I can’t really say what characteristics it has and what was transferred to the Bruichladdich Single Malt. Though in the end it doesn’t truly matter, what matters is what it smells and tastes like so why don’t we go on and take a look at that now?
Bruichladdich Rocks Review
Distiller: Bruichladdich
Age: NAS (6 years)
ABV: 46%
Price: $50
Non Chill-Filtered
Natural Color
EYE
Pinkish copper
NOSE
Weirdly sweet fruit and malt with notes of vanilla, raisins, butterscotch pudding and grapefruit juice. There are some light hints of caramel, wood, smoke and a strange cloying sweetness, but they’re delicate and seem to come and go.
PALATE
Fruit covered in vanilla frosting and sprinkled with malt, dried dark fruit, butterscotch and honey. It has a dark earthy almost sulfuric undertone that gets more noticeable towards the end of the sip.
FINISH
Malt, vanilla, wood and that earthy undertone run out on a long finish that fades to a medicinal Dimetapp quality.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
The balance is a little off with weird notes coming and going. Thin and flaxen it’s a bit like drinking whisky flavored water.
OVERALL
This last edition of Bruichladdich Rocks has some weird notes that come and go, but they add dimension and keep my nose and palate busy even if I’m not fully enjoying those notes. However, they are always followed by notes I do enjoy creating this odd roller coaster effect in my senses. It’s a weird one to me and while it’s not my favorite Bruichladdich, it’s still interesting stuff and if you like wine barrel finished whisky I’d recommend giving it a try if you come across it.
SCORE: 82/100
