DISTILLERY FOCUS: BRUICHLADDICH

Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay was established in 1881. It uses 100% Scottish barley, with half sourced from Islay and 5% organically grown. The distillery has three product lines - unpeated Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte, which is heavily peated (around 40 ppm) and Octomore, which is ultra-heavily peated (over 100 ppm). 

Bruichladdich Distillery is active in the development of renewable energy sources in order to minimise the environmental impact of whisky production. In 2021 the distillery tested a new technology to meet the distillery's heating needs by burning hydrogen and oxygen, replacing carbon dioxide emissions with water. For a taste of Islay's signature, Bruichladdich, made from Scottish barley, here are three warming and festive peated smoky whiskies that are not to be missed!

Br7 bottled by Elements of Islay has a high strength of 60.4%. On the nose, blue cheese and dates with a glass of cream sherry to start, with a second course of cinder toffee sprinkled with boozy raisins. Notes of Teurgoule – Normandy-style rice pudding – slowly build. On the palate, dried fruits and dark chocolate mingle with honeycomb and clotted cream. A touch of sea salt adds a savoury element to this rich and heavy malt. At the finish, rum-soaked fruit cake leads, making for a long and warming finish which slowly fades into notes of toffee sauce.

Shop Now: Br7

Port Charlotte 14 Years is matured in sherry casks and bottled by Hidden Spirits. It is smoky with peat, marmalade, icing sugar, and blueberries on the nose. The palate has peat, grilled meat, smoke and salt. At the finish, smoke, peat, marmalade and grape juice.

Lochindaal 10 Years, also bottled by Hidden Spirits, was matured in ex-bourbon barrels. It has sweet lanolin, caramel fudge and balanced peat on the nose. Sweet malt with milko chews on the palate. Peat is thick and heavy. More of an aromatic peat, not the medicinal style of most Islay.

Shop Now: Lochindaal 10 Years