Distillery Profile: Bruichladdich
Pronunciation: "brew-ick-laddie" or "brook-laddie."
Brands: Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte, Octomore, The Botanist (gin)
Region: Islay (pronounced "eye-lah")
Owned by: Remy Cointreau
What Does It Taste Like?
Check out my tasting video for insights into the flavors of three Bruichladdich whiskies: The Classic Laddie, Port Charlotte MRC:01, and Octomore 12.1.
What's the Story?
It's understandable if your weird alarms go off when a distillery that has barely changed since it was built in 1881 pushes the boundaries of the whisky industry, proudly announcing itself as rebellious and provocative. But that's Bruichladdich. As the self-proclaimed "Progressive Hebridean Distillers," Bruichladdich prides itself on pushing the boundaries of scotch whisky and doing what others will not (while still using the same cast iron mash tun that was installed in 1881)—an intriguing dichotomy for sure.
As happens so often in the scotch whisky world, Bruichladdich has been shut down, sold, and reopened several times. The latest was when it was shut down in 1994 and reopened in 2001 when Mark Reynier bought it for just $10 million. In 2012, it was purchased by Remy Cointreau for a whopping $98 million. That price is a testament to the excellent work Bruichladdich has done. The brilliant master blender/distillery manager combination of Jim McEwan and Duncan MacGillvray brought Bruichladdich out of the abyss and transformed it into a leader of the scotch whisky industry.
Bruichladdich has cut a different path through the whisky world, leading with the Classic Laddie. This unpeated expression has become the flagship for the brand. The Port Charlotte and Octomore brands are the peated expressions.
Bruichladdich also experiments with terroir quite a bit, with whiskies based on Islay-grown barley, different varieties of barley, and even the first Islay rye whisky.
In a nutshell, Bruichladdich is proud of its Islay heritage and pays homage to it whenever possible. And we whisky drinkers get to enjoy the fantastic results.
An Example of Transparency
One of the most remarkable features on Bruichladdich's website is the Classic Laddie Recipe Revealer.
The Classic Laddie's recipe constantly changes based on different factors and recipes created by their Head Distiller, Adam Hannett. My bottle is 22/134. When you enter your number, you get all the details on the casks, barley types, and more. Check out my recipe below.
Transparency is surprisingly rare in the whisky world, but very refreshing when you can find it. Bruichladdich's openness is another expression of their boundary-pushing ways and another reason to love them.
Fun Facts
Jim McEwan, the industry legend, was instrumental in bringing Bruichladdich back from nothingness in 2001. He's behind the legendary Black Art and Octomore expressions. Watch the documentary Scotch: A Golden Dream for a lovely review of his work for the whisky industry and Bruichladdich.
Bruichladdich believes in terroir and provenance. They believe where a whisky comes from is a crucial part of its identity. They're among the few distilleries to produce barley-specific releases to prove that different varieties create different flavors—certainly lots of fun for nerds like myself.
Bruichladdich prides itself on doing everything on its property. Bruichladdich is one of the few distilleries that bottle their whisky on-site. Many instead ship casks to centralized bottling plants.
Main Whiskies: The Classic Laddie, Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10-Year-Old, Octomore
Specialty Releases: Black Art, The Regeneration Project (Rye), Islay Barley, Bere Barley
Final Thoughts
Bruichladdich is a "gateway" whisky for those interested in Islay. The Classic Laddie and terroir releases are unpeated, while Octomore and Port Charlotte feature peat heavily. You can have the best of both worlds with Bruichladdich.