New Arrivals
![]() Bruichladdich / 2010 Bere Barley. £70.00 Country: Scotland Region: Islay Age: Strength: 50%. Summary: COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Islay. CATEGORY: Single Malt. DISTILLERY: Bruichladdich. BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling. BOTTLING SERIE: Bere Barley. VINTAGE: 2010 BOTTLED: 2019 NUMBER OF BOTTLES: 18000 STRENGTH: 50% Vol. Bere Barley is a six-row heritage variety that has long since been forgotten from the modern world of standardised whisky making. Its revival into present day has taken effort and resilience from an entire network of millers, growers and agronomists. The Bere project is dedicated to those like-minded souls, who have preserved a legacy and found modern applications in flavourful food and drinks, whatever the odds. This Bruichladdich Bere Barley was distilled in 2010 from a 2009 harvest, brought home by Peter, John, Magnus, Sydney and Duncan on the Orkney Islands. NOSE: At first the nose is dominated by cereal, porridge oats, malty notes but quickly followed by intense fruit, ripe pear and peaches in syrup, lemon meringue pie. There is a fresh breezy quality like fresh linen. The oak brings honey, vanilla, coconut and hints of cinder toffee and fudge. As time opens this unique dram up, the peach notes become all enveloping and anything else is had to find. TASTE: Back to the malted barley on the palate, the texture is like honey, rich and incredibly viscous. A range of sweet fruit and oak notes jostle for position, peaches in syrup again, honey, chocolate, cinder toffee and apricot jam, there is an amazing sweetness from the oak and malt that is unlike any other spirit we make, the Bere barley gives so much intensity of flavour and the spirit has drawn deep from the wood in the last eight years. FINISH: On the finish there is an air of gentle grace as the softness of the fruit continues, pear and apple come through with the peach notes and offer another dimension. The oak and malt fade away slowly and leave you to contemplate an incredible experience. CHARACTER: An absolute delight to behold, from the outstanding texture to the intensity of the fruit, this ancient grain yet again confirms our barley exploration is based on distillation for flavour not yield. This particular vintage has an intensity and range of flavour I have seldom seen before but inspires us yet again to continue our journey. |
![]() Bruichladdich / 2010 Organic. £75.00 Country: Scotland Region: Islay Age: Strength: 50%. Summary: COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Islay. CATEGORY: Single Malt. DISTILLERY: Bruichladdich. BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling. VINTAGE: 2010 BOTTLED: 2019 AGE: 8 Year Old. NUMBER OF BOTTLES: 18000 CASK TYPE: American oak casks. ABV: 50% Vol. The whisky they distil from the organic barley of Mid Coul reflects the complex natural flavours of the landscape. Just as their stillmen refuse to abandon the traditional crafts of distillation in favour of automation or industrialisation, so farmer William Rose rejects the use of herbicides, pesticides and artificial fertilisers. Crop rotation is key. The barley must take its turn in a seven year farm cycle that also produces organic cattle, sheep, oats, beans, grass, carrots, market gardening and a megawatt of green electricity. Respecting the land, the soil and the climate nourishes a genuine and thorough understanding of terroir and the results are pure Bruichladdich. NOSE: Fresh malted barley, melon, peach and apricot. Opens up with notes of rich honey, lemon meringue and floral notes of gorse and heather. Vanilla and caramel and pastry notes from the wood are nicely balanced with the intensity of the fruit, waves of pear apple and gooseberry still hint at the fresh green fruits of the spirit. TASTE: Sweet pear drops, vanilla fudge, chocolate and marzipan initially. No aggression here at all just well-integrated flavours and a round gentle texture. The oak and malt notes complement each other so well overlapping each other with toasted rye bread, buttery popcorn and fresh oak, vanilla fudge and smooth caramel merging. The organic barley seems to give more fruit from the distillation and a more viscous texture which is a joy to the olfactory senses. FINISH: Sweet citrus, lemon drops, come through well on the finish and a slight char from the oak gives depth. The finish feels more marine, a little briny alongside the oak and malt which works beautifully. CHARACTER: Elegance, richness and definite Bruichladdich DNA. The depth of flavour comes from the malt and its transformation through the alchemy of distillation. The spirit is pure and fresh, the oak rich and honied, together with time the combination of great oak, superb barley and slow distillation make for an amazing exploration of the fundamentals of making whisky. |
![]() Bruichladdich / 2011 Islay Barley. £50.00 Country: Scotland Region: Islay Age: Strength: 50%. Summary: COUNTRY/REGION: Scotland/Islay. CATEGORY: Single Malt. DISTILLERY: Bruichladdich. BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling. BOTTLING SERIE: Coull, Cruach, Island, Mulindry, Rockside and Starchmill VINTAGE: BOTTLED: 2018 CASK TYPE: . STRENGTH: 50% Vol. The Islay barley series has always been a mission. For many years now they have sought to showcase the phenomenon of “terroir” in single malt whisky – the belief that soil, climate, micro-climate, geographic orientation, natural influences and local weather systems will influence the quality and flavour profile of the spirit, making it a unique expression of ‘place’. Bruichladdich Islay barley 2011 is distilled from barley grown on six western and central Islay farms in 2010. CHARACTER: A sweet spot in the maturation of an incredible whisky. A chance to see the elements at work as the young spirit showing green fruits, apple, pear and gooseberry transitions to peach, apricot and mango with the influence of time. The careful selection of casks holds this moment perfectly in balance as their contribution to the ageing of the spirit brings oak depth, vanilla and coconut sweetness and lemon/grapefruit zest without overpowering the sweetness of the malt or the profound cereal notes that come from the Islay grown barley. The structure is firm, the texture luxurious, carrying the DNA of this island. COLOUR: Fresh Cut Straw. NOSE: From the outset this is overtly floral and fruity. Slow distillation yet again brings out the best from the Islay grown Barley, the abundance of soft fruit notes and delicate floral style of this dram is shared with our past Islay grown releases. Typical Bruichladdich style fruit notes of crisp apple and ripe pear along with peach and dried apricot are further enhanced with lemon drops, grapefruit and orange zest. There is a vast array of flavour rising from this whisky as it opens further. The oak and cereal components come through after the fruit, pipe tobacco and vanilla notes mingle with barley sugar and caramel wafers, as ever a distinct marine tang hangs in the air. FINISH: The finish is about the fruit, dried apricot from the oak and lemon, kiwi and caramel wafer. A warm sand, marine note lingers as the Islay maturation tells its part of the story. As this whisky lingers on the palate it puts you in mind of the construction and structure to its form. Each element, distillation, time, cask and barley have a clear influence yet not one dominates another as this whisky reaches a crossroads in its development. This vintage is at the perfect stage to appreciate all that it is as it lays bare its DNA, its philosophy and its quality. |
![]() Matsui Shuzou / The Kurayoshi 12 Year Old. £130.00 Country: Japanese Region: Japanese Age: Strength: 43%. Summary: COUNTRY/REGION: Japan. CATEGORY: Blended Malt. DISTILLERY: Matsui Shuzo. BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling. BOTTLING SERIE: Pure Malt Whisky. BOTTLED: 2018 AGE: 12 Years Old. ABV: 43% Vol. The aroma of nuts and almonds is followed by a rich malty texture, with hints of vanilla and raisins, accompanied by a faint smoky flavour in perfect balance with the sweetness, bitterness and acidity of this vintage. |
![]() Matsui Shuzou / The Kurayoshi 18 Year Old. £240.00 Country: Japanese Region: Japanese Age: Strength: 50%. Summary: COUNTRY/REGION: Japan. CATEGORY: Blended Malt. DISTILLERY: Matsui Shuzo. BOTTLER: Distillery Bottling. BOTTLING SERIE: Pure Malt Whisky. BOTTLED: 2016 AGE: 18 Years Old. ABV: 50% Vol. The deep rich fragrance of this aged whisky confirms its maturity. The sweet taste of honey, the delicate and savoury vanilla, the smoky and spicy multi-layered flavour. Finished with a refreshing mint aftertaste. |
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