Bruichladdich Black Art 10.1 Edition 29 Year

Distiller whisky taste #200 Well that certainly crept up quickly, 200 whiskies. Cripes. Number 100 was 4th November 2022 with Port Charlotte CC:01. From the same whisky geniuses, six months later, Bruichladdich Black Art. This is the tenth instalment of Bruichladdich's Black Art series; an unpeated Islay single malt combining whiskies drawn from a secret selection of casks, known only to head distiller Adam Hannett. This is Hannetts sixth release of Black Art and combines malts distilled prior to the Bruichladdich's closure in the mid-nineties (and eventual reopening in 2001). Matured for 29 years in mystery casks. I enter this 200th tasting with some trepidation, still considering myself a rank amateur, I’m about to drink my oldest liquid yet. Something that seems to be shrouded with mystery and a borderline cult following. Black Art seems like it should be, or maybe is, beyond me. I feel I owe it to Adam Hannett and the Whisky community to unlock all this has to offer. I understand these Black Arts are to be respected. Comfy chair, check. Beethovens 9th, should work well. N: Oh snap. I love this already. In equal measure this is deep, dark, and foreboding whilst seemingly also being bright, vivacious, and enticing. We can start with the bright: apricots and pears, grape, blackcurrant, a white wine gooseberry. Next the vivacious: delicate barley sugar, honey, florals like elderflower cordial and new spring blossoms. The deep and dark: cherry cola, cedar wood, hazelnuts, toasted oak, dark chocolate, old supple leather. Half an hour into this and it just keeps ramping up. This is a foreboding and endlessly enticing nose that keeps reaching up from its own depths and dragging you further in. P: Wonderfully thick and syrupy arrival, full bodied and clings on for dear life. Sharp nuttiness and ginger spice lead the charge. Barley sugar drops with fragrant, fresh waxy orange spritz and a complimenting slightly bitter, dark orange marmalade. Orange turns slightly sweet and brightens to a jammy consistency and introduces a new raft of flavours, there is almond, a little cherry or blackcurrant, cinnamon, chocolate, and a fantastically warming toasty oak. Theres more though, so much more, a hint of a medicinal note some more traditional sherry cask flavours of dried fruits but also a fresh crisp acidity and tropical coconuty vibe. I barely know what I’m drinking anymore, there is a stupefying level of depth that whilst being superbly balanced is like driving 300 mph through a housing estate. F: Long. Soft and gentle. Toffee will guide you through the finish and introduce you to another experience altogether, there is honeydew melon, a slightly feinty touch of tobacco and vaguely herbal presence, a touch of candied ginger and maybe even preserved or candied lemon too. Oh, and then there is the toffee again, possibly the best toffee I’ll ever ‘eat’. I’ve taken 1/2 the dram and added two drops of water and given it another five minutes to marry. It doesn’t need it. Nothing happens with the nose, but the palate and finish become slightly more bitter and waxy. Take this neat. I’ve been on this for pushing one and a half hours. Hands down the most complex whisky I have ever drunk. What baffles me is that this isn’t even considered the best Black Art Bruichladdich have put out. Yet, undoubtedly this Black Art was created with some kind of witchcraft. This is a special creation and a true love letter to whisky. 200 reviews and just my fourth 5 star rating. [Pictured here with a special rock for a special whisky. The oldest whisky I’ve drunk deserved the oldest piece of the Earth available. Pictured along the Black Art is a chunk of the Acasta Gneiss from Yellowknife in Canadas Northwest Territories. At 4.031 billion years old this is the oldest intact piece of Earths crust on the planet.] Bruichladdich running scores Port Charlotte 10: 4.5/5 Port Charlotte CC:01: 5/5 Black Art 10.1: 5/5

Nose: Malty depth. There's a sweetness present, but it's beautifully integrated in with the fruit components also present in the glass. More plum than apricot - perfectly ripe dark stone fruit drupe . Lightly macerated strawberries and black pepper. Maybe a touch of balsamic vinegar. There's oak popping up (as it should with this kind of age on it). Almost some slightly under-rip banana. There's a ton of great fruit, but none of it takes center stage. Everything is so beautifully integrated. Lovely. Some vanilla, some cream. There's also some herbs, almost like thyme and basil. In the background, some super-high cacao dark chocolate. Raspberry jam filled truffle. Warm baking spices abound. Palate: The malt character is much more present on the palate, while the fruits step back a little. The oak is the center to this part of the experience, with tannic astringency, but not so much so that it robs the rest of the experience. The oak brings that herbal quality out with it. Fruit character leans toward less sweet. The malt is starting to present a beautiful cashew/peanut-like thread. This is brighter than I expected without seeming brittle. Limes. Key lime pie. The oak gives this a zingy pepper-y quality with a moderate density. Finish: The finish begins by filling in with oak. Some burnt match pops in and then fades very quickly, and then strawberry, banana, and thyme come in. Some salinity begins to reveal itself after a while. This finish takes it's time, slowly fading away and leaving behind that beautiful oak backbone. With a few drops of water: The oak wakes up on the nose. Where there was delicate balance before, now the oak has stepped forward a little. Berries, bananas, and sweetened whipped cream. The palate gets a touch more black pepper, and there's a slightly sweet bell pepper vegetal thing happening. The finish gets a touch shorter and less present. Other notes: This is now the oldest whisk(e)y I've ever tasted, received from a friend in the most lopsided sample trade ever. That there are no details about what went into this forced me to start from scratch: without suggestion, what am I really experiencing? Is this good? Great? Bad? What am I truly tasting? I knew this wasn't a super proofy pour, but I certainly would've guessed higher than 45.1%, which I'd attribute simply to the age. Oak and astringency can present as "heat", and that's likely what's happening here. This also presented a lot less dense, rich, and syrupy than I would've expected, but it's also incredibly complex. The presence and complexity demand your investment and attention - we're here to taste, not merely sip. This is one of those rare occasions where price plays a factor in my overall rating, simply because the price tag is so high. That being said, as I've been typing out these "other notes", I've gone back and added more and more to the tasting notes above - this is an exercise in brilliant complexity and balance, without being dense, cloying, or overly intense. A beautiful pour if you can ever get one. Maybe just try to convince someone to trade you a sample for something from your stash.

Nose: Sultanas, grape juice, citrus juices, green apple skins, barley grist, oatmeal porridge, citrus-like herbal notes (elderflower, hops). Palate: Sweet, juicy and fruit-forward arrival with orange, tangerine, light honey and apricot nectar in abundance. As it develops the fruit qualities fade and cereal notes come to the fore, first as barley sugar and then as diluted malt extract and nutty, mildly spicy flavours (soft ginger, muted clove). It then further develops a leafy, autumnal, herbal quality as mild tannins come through in the later palate. The texture is good, but not especially heavy. Finish: Medium/Long. Juicy soft tannins morph into cold black tea bitterness, then fade gently to a semi-sweet fruity aftertaste. The nose is charming in a modest and self-effacing way that does not hit you in the face with a wall of aromas. The wine cask influence is detectable, but subtle, and it does need time in the glass to open (which is not unusual for an older whisky) but even so it never really seemed to completely blossom for me. I did not get the sense of depth or richness that other folks report. It certainly has complexity and progression but for me it was an understated experience overall. Then again that is not necessarily bad. It’s definitely not an overblown whisky, and just as definitely a dram to be enjoyed slowly and with focus. I added a couple of drops of water and initially this made me think I had ruined the dram but after allowing it considerable time to recompose it resurrected as a less intense form of the original profile. I did not think that reduction did anything at all for the nose and its effect on the palate and finish was debatable. The bottom line is that this is a delicate old whisky that is best enjoyed neat. It’s elegant and subtle with many good points and no faults, but for me it lacked that something special that would push it past a 4 star rating. The Black Art series has a devoted following but I think the early releases were the best and it has slipped from “sublime” to “very good” over time. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)

Nose - White wine poached pears, candied ginger & orange zest, milk chocolate, raisins, golden raisins, cognac vibes Taste - Chocolate, raisins, sweet vermouth, candied ginger, orange zest, hint of dried sour/tart cherries, sweet white wine poached pears, hint of red wine poached pears for a hint of tannic/dark chocolate/leather note, burnt sugar Finish - Gentle warmth, hint of salt, light nutty bitterness, feels like a dried fruit & nut mix, light tart dried cherries, long lingering old brandy/cognac vibe Score - 91/100 Final Thoughts - The nose on this one was quite nice. There was quite a lot going on and I feel as if there's a good mix of different types of casks going on here as I get various aromas that come in waves of sweet raisins, golden raisins, dark aged wine, brandy/cognac vibes, and a hint of bright sweet white desserty wine. Great nose, palate was nice with the gentle spice/warmth that hits you from the start but isn't too overwhelming. Feels like a good mix of dark stone fruits and dark chocolate with enough poached pear and wine influence to keep it from being too overly sweet. Great finish, although a bit on the bitter side. I typically like this in a finish, but it didn't feel as cohesive as it could've been. Feels like there's a good mix of ex-bourbon, sauternes, cognac/brandy, red wine, and a few oloroso sherry and maybe a PX thrown in there for good measure. Good mix, but not the best Black Art I've had. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - Not another for the price NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Great like any black art, suspect this was aged mostly in red wine casks. Don’t think it is on 3 or 4’s level as it has some funky bitterness but maybe it could be I was trying it next to Glengoyne 25 and Bunnahabhain 2022 New Acquaintance Double Wood (32 Year virgin oak + 36 Year canasta Cream sherry). Nose: Dark Chocolate, Honey, Raspberries, Raisins, Morello Cherries, Papayas, Blackcurrants, Prunes, Bananas, Toffee, Apricots, Mangoes, Melons Palate: Blackcurrants, Dark Chocolate, Plums, Morello Cherries, Mushrooms, Papayas, Figs, Walnuts, Licorice, Blood Oranges, Chili Peppers, Ginger Finish: Raisins, Prunes, Dates, Toffee, Roses, Lavender, Violets, Raspberries, Morello Cherries, Blackberries, Leather, Mocha, Tobacco

This has fruits, florals, and wood in a perfectly balanced trio. The image I have when drinking this is of an impossibly thin piece of wood balancing a basket of fruit and a potted flower. It’s different from last year’s, but equally incredible