Bruichladdich Islay Barley Rockside Farm 2007

Review #016 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 50% Comments: aged 6 years, ex-bourbon maturation Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Amber color. Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, it starts to bead up quickly but legs are slow to form. Nose: 16/20 Green apples, oat cereal, lemon zest, and honeydew melon. Palate: 34/40 Not overpoweringly flavorful and moderately sweet, some honey, oak spice, grain cereal, and caramelized sugar. Finish: 36/40 Nice long finish. It has just the right amount of heat, intensifying flavor of vanilla, interrupted by a momentary dash of salt which quickly fades to buttered bread. With Water: A drop of water made it a little more fruity on the nose but didn’t add any new flavors, if anything it diluted the existing palate significantly. Total: 86/100 Final thoughts: Glad I grabbed this bottle when I saw it collecting dust in a tiny liquor store off the beaten track. Probably the only Jim McEwan Bruichladdich I’ll get a chance to try. Price: $70 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Nose: Malt and cereals, some citrus notes, honeydew melon and a little barley sugar. There's a fresh seaside note to this, almost like gusts of blustery on-shore breeze. There's also some orchard fruit. Palate: The arrival is crisply cereal and barley-sugar. As it develops, the cereal foundation gains sweetness and almost honeyed notes. It's not a particularly complex palate, and completely devoid of smoke, but like the nose there is a fresh coastal aspect to it that is very appealing. Finish: Medium. Fruity and yes - there's the barley sugar surfacing again before it finally fades away. The lingering memory is of a very fresh but assured spirit-driven whisky. It's very tight and almost highly-strung when neat and a dash of water does it no harm at all, letting the nose bloom and hidden sweet floral aromas and flavours emerge. This presents all the best characteristics of a youthful spirit without drawing undue attention to its lack of maturity. It would be a good malt to enjoy on a sunny spring day when there's a slight chill in the air. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)

This is not my cup of tea, but you have to give credit to the advertising, and if true, to the effort that goes into making something so "pure." For me this is all honey, heather and oak. None of these tasting notes are my favorites. Its also a 6 year-old scotch, which is bold, and, at the time of bottling, proud of the new-make the distillery puts out. This is young scotch, that isn't ostentatious or hollow. As I've gotten this past the shoulder, vanilla and buttery finishes have helped to bump this up a half point. 5.0 - go out and buy all of the stock you can find. 4.0 - must buy at least one bottle before you die. 3.0 - solid, must try at a bar, or mooch from a friend. 2.0 - didn't like it, you may. 1.0 - you may have the palate of my dog, and he licks his own ass.

My first sniff threw me back to days making model cars in my childhood with my dad. The scent was reminiscent of that fresh coat of paint with out the assault of chemicals. But all memories aside it was immediately enjoyable as the first day of spring. I don't usually like fruity or sweet tasting whiskey but this one surprised me. It combined fruity tastes with just the right amount mellow. It loses nothing while not overpowering. I had it with one large cube of ice at the Vertical Wine bar in Pasadena, CA. I recommend it.

Initially put off, by a touch of funk in the nose and an oiliness to the mouth feel, but by midway through the bottle my taste buds are on board. Slightly medicinal aftertaste and yet still rich and buttery, like gold melted and run through a sieve and then carefully distilled into the most unusual Islay I have had the pleasure to enjoy. It is never my first choice, but with every dram I like it more.

Not really unique save for the delightful finish that tastes like your sucking on a sweet plank of wood. The nose is salty, with hints of bacon, citrus, and a floral fragrance. The mouthfeel is full, zesty, lemon, and certainly malty. This is my third bottling of Bruichladdich that I have tried, including the Laddie and Port Charlotte. Sadly none of these have won me over.