Still Stocking - Now Working On Bruichladdich

While Kyle is busy stocking all the new booze from today's earlier post below, I'm frantically adding all the tasting notes in the system for the new Bruichladdich releases.  Then I've got to get it all on the shelf!  Here's what just arrived:

Octomore 4.2 Comus Heavily Peated Islay Whisky $189.99 - Peated at 167 ppm and run at a slow drip through the still, the Octomore from Bruichladdich is the peatiest whisky in the world. At a whopping 61%, this new 4.2 Comus release has been finished in Chateau d'Yquem casks, adding richness to the bright, almost cinnamon-like peat of the Octomore whisky. Rich golden raisins with a peaty punch in the face. Tropical fruits smoked and caramelized to high Heaven. This is not for the faint of heart, yet it's something everyone should try at least once (and perhaps several times for the truly hedonistic).

Octomore 4.1 Heavily Peated Islay Whisky $189.99 - For a whisky peated at 167 ppm, the peat almost blurs, much like light does on a starship entering warp speed. Big smoke, big spice, earth and bog, heather and flowers, all passing through the palate like a rocket. It's everything Bruichladdich promises it to be and more. It's also 62.5% so watch out.

Bruichladdich Black Art 2nd Edition 21 Year Old Islay Single Malt Whisky $169.99 - Always one of Bruichladdich's more esoteric offerings, yet by no means less brilliant, the Black Art series alludes to Jim McEwan's almost devilish ability to conjure up flavors never-before seen in single malt whisky. Using a combination of various wine casks, this 21 year old whisky undergoes a transformation that takes the rich, oily textures of old Bruichladdich and combines it with cherries, blackberries, currants, and a melee of other red-fruited delights. The vanilla and oak come smoothly on the finish. It's a decadent whisky and it's always quick to sell out. Grab it while it's here.

PC8 - Port Charlotte Ar Duthchas Islay Single Malt Whisky $99.99 - Bruichladdich's Port Charlotte project only continues to progress and evolve into some of the best peated whisky in the business. This eighth release is full of salty sea spray with doses of citrus and bright peat tones on the nose, combining with the oily, textural mouthfeel that defines this distillery. Soft oak on the finish smooths everything out. Another great achievement.

Port Charlotte An Turas Mor Islay Single Malt Whisky $59.99 - Finally! We've got a full-time peated expression from Bruichladdich, not a one-off, limited release we all have to rush out and secure. Not that you shouldn't get one of the An Turas Mor immediately because it might be the best deal in peated Islay at the moment. For $60 you get more sweetness than Ardbeg, less oil than Bowmore, less sherry than Lagavulin, and more richness than Laphroaig. Creamy, yet peaty at the same time. This is the missing link for peated Islay we've been desperately waiting for.

Bruichladdich Organic Islay Single Malt Whisky $59.99 - While the Bruichladdich 10 is getting all the accolades, as it should, the new permanent Organic release is quietly winning over distillery visitors with its gentle grain and vanilla character. Made from the barley of organic Scottish mainland farms, the clean and malty nature of the whisky shines in a way that other straightforward Scotches seem to miss. That's to say that a flavor profile some find boring or bland in basic single malts seems to work fantastically well with the Organic. No longer simply a limited vintage release, the multi-vintage vatting smoothes out some of the harshness from the previous 2003 release and reigns in the power. The citrus is delicate, the vanilla elegant, and the notes of honey and blossom wither in and out on the palate. A wonderfully easy-going whisky made by good people and very special barley.

-David Driscoll