Bruichladdich Black Art 1992 9.1 Edition 29 Year

The nose starts with powdered sugar dusted strawberries, mango smoothie and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate covered toasted coconut, sweet pipe tobacco, hay and seaside rocky minerality followed by sautéed cherries, orange zest and grilled pineapple that transitions to light baking spices and polished antique mahogany furniture with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with powdered sugar dusted strawberries, mango smoothie and dusty leather-bound books then a moderate bitter and sour spice that quickly fades to dark chocolate covered espresso beans, freshly lit cigar, toasted marshmallow and seaside rocky minerality followed by sautéed cinnamon apples, orange blossom and apricot that transitions to light baking spices and polished antique mahogany furniture with low ethanol burn. The finish is long with sautéed cinnamon apples, sour cherries, mango, coconut cream pie, freshly lit pipe tobacco, seaside rocky minerality, hay, dusty leather-bound books and polished antique furniture. For 29 years old, this is an incredibly fruit forward dram with the red berries and creamy tropical fruits dominating with the old oak in the background along with light earthy spices, farmyard and seaside rocky minerality. It has a beautiful balance of sweet, earthy, salty and sour flavors that flow well together but suffers from a moderate bitter spice that throws the balance off ever so slightly and the 44.1% ABV providing an excellent mouthfeel with rich flavors, but likely could have used a few more percentage points to make the flavors bolder. At a price of $600+ per bottle, this is a fantastic whisky that I’m happy to have tried a sample of but not one that I’d be looking to buy a full bottle of as there are plenty of other options I like just as much or better for less.

I'm lucky enough to have been blessed with a bottle of this magic russet colour liquid on the day of release from the distillery. Different in its colour to my bottle of Back Arts 6.1, which is sadly nearly done - this new edition is equally as special if not more so, as it's been made with Bruichladdich's rarest 1% of pre modern era whisky stocks coming from prior to the closure in 1994 "I don,t think we will see another Black Art like this one!" Nose – Simply stunning. Tropical fruit, coconut, tobacco, oak spices and toasted pine needles weave an intricate web of aromas. With a bit of time, this beautiful whisky opens up to waves of mango, honey-drizzled melon, warm orange zest, grilled pineapple and ripe summer strawberries. It’s mouth-wateringly succulent and fruity – the gentle oak offering coconut, ginger, buttery shortbread, vanilla custard and hints of tobacco. Palate – The viscosity and depth to this dram are out of this world; the oak notes of tobacco and brown sugar, chocolate and coconut provide the base for all those wonderful fruit combinations to shine. A drop of water and a second sip further explore the woven layers of this remarkable whisky. Finish – The succulent fruit sweetness lasts for an age on the palate, apricot, mango and baked banana, toasted sweet oak, honey and vanilla – you just don’t want it to end. For me; this is just about the perfect whiskey if there ever was such a thing - truly stunning!!!!

Nose - Beautiful mix of fresh & dried apples, grilled pineapple, golden raisins, strawberries, caramel, honey Taste - Light lactic funk, saline, apple custard creaminess, lightly bitter apple skin/stem/core, light dried tropical fruit vibes, orange creamsicle, fruity/acidic coffee/espresso, lightly effervescent, almost like a less sweet orange Fanta Finish - Gentle warmth, creamy mouthfeel, light tropical fruit "funk", gentle salt Score - 92/100 Final Thoughts - So Adam Hannett continues to improve on his previous Black Art releases with this one. Beautiful nose on this one and it feels like a mix of multiple different casks. Nice and fruity, but also nice notes of caramel from what I'm guessing are ex-Bourbon to hold this back from being too sherry & wine cask forward. Beautiful balance of flavors, but somehow there is this bit of bitter apple peel/core that gets a bit too distracting. I think it wouldn't have been too bad if there was more sweetness to it, but a lot of flavors are competing against each other in this one and the bitterness is a bit too much for the subtle flavors. I think I'm being a bit too critical here as it really is put together quite well, but it is a bit distracting for what's there. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - Maybe, but only if I could find it for ~$300 NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose- red apple skins, juicy golden delicious, not getting much else fruit. Taste-. Sweet. Zero smoke, more red apple skins and golden delicious juice. Finish- slightly tart at the end. I think it's reminding me so much of apples that it tastes like apple seeds, slight mustiness. Some heat and spice, more than 44% would expect. It's numbing the inside of my mouth. Some almonds or nut in the finish. Overall it's good but I'm not seeing it's value. It's rare and I am excited to check a black art off but I'd take a port Charlotte over this personally at a 1/10th the cost. It did get better in the glass. Maybe I needed to let it sit longer.

Had it over the weekend. This was really incredible - took a little while to open up, but what started as a nose slightly similar to Red Breast 27 (candied peach) turns into a complex experience, led by fig and nuts and followed by a touch of sweetness in the long finish. If this isn’t the best whisky I’ve ever had, it’s certainly close.

Incredibly fruity, like apples, pears, melon. Best whiskey I’ve ever had. Sherry notes, incredibly dense in flavor, long finish. Don’t let the low proof fool you, that is because of the age. Oily mouth feel, with an incredibly dense flavor because of the 29 years. Worth a pour at any price to try once