Bruichladdich Laddie Crew Micro Provenance 2003 Bourbon x Calvados Cask

Bruichladdich 14 2003 Micro-Provenance Bourbon/Calvados Cask 10/179-1 / 60.8% ABV 2003/12/04 to 2018/12/18 Bourbon/Calvados Cask 10/179-1 Bottled Exclusively for the Laddie Crew UK Nose - (w/o water) Sweet scalded milk sweetness, lactic "funk", hint of saline, bitter apples like crushed seeds/stems/skins, watery apple juice (w/ water) More saline, less bitter apple, less lactic "funk" Taste - (w/o water) Bit hot, light bitter apple, lots of crushed apple seeds/stems, hint of saline, heat fades at end (w/ water) Greatly reduced heat, more fruity oak, bitterness lingers, saline appears more strongly at the end Finish - (w/o water) Distinctly apple but a bit bitter crushed seeds/stems, gentle mouth warming, bit too much fruity bitterness that lingers (w/ water) Bitter apples still, lingering saline Score - 79/100 Final Thoughts - I have a feeling I might have wanted to like this one a bit more than I actually did. I'm not sure if they picked a bad calvados cask to finish this in, but I got quite a bit of overoaked/bitter fruity apple notes that were a bit off. It was still a very drinkable dram, but the bitterness was scaled up a level that I think threw this off balance a bit. The apple vibe from start to finish was nice, but I think it was too much bitter, almost crushed apple seed bitter. A bit of water definitely helped with overall balance, but I think it threw off that gentle heat that gave it a bit of a Clynelish waxy vibe I liked. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - Not another NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.