Bruichladdich 1990 27 Year Cask Strength Collection (Signatory)

Rating: 19/23 I bought this for a special occasion, but I was never really sure what that occasion would be. Well, today I closed on a house, which I think makes this a big (and expensive) enough moment to justify opening this bottle. N: The sherry and wood hit me. Lots of oloroso oiliness with citrus. The malty sweetness meets the citrus to give a bit of a vague red fruit scent. As for the wood, I'm getting lots of ash. It's a bold nose, but it's not all that complex. I'm pretty luke warm so far. P: The sherry and wood from the nose definitely come in here. They're better integrated, but still not super decadent or complex. That's disappointing because I definitely associate old Bruicladdich with tremendous complexity. I do get some sort of funky mustiness here, suggesting that this was once some really funky distillate. It has a bit of a burn from the proof and also a nice weight to it. Adding some water really changes this and I'm enjoying it a lot now! Immediately, some mellow barrel and sweet cinnamon come out. Playing with the water more, I get some really nice chocolate that beats my bottle of Westward Single Barrel Cask Strength (Mission pick), but isn't as bold as Garrison Brothers Cowboy 2020. I'm also getting some tangerine with floral notes, black licorice, a little vanilla, hints of toffee, and a bit of wax. There's a lot going on here and it's tasty and fun to contemplate. F: A bit of waxy numbness lingers along with a bitterness that brings in ash and black licorice. Occasional hints of barrel spice and an underlying malty, toffee sweetness. A touch of oiliness as well. Lingering faint jasmine and apricot. This isn't as complex or as decadent as the palate by a good margin. - Conclusion - There are some very nice flavors here, but it doesn't have the complex edge that I expect of 27 year old Bruichladdich. It's a very nice 27 year old single malt with faint Bruichladdich influences. I'm enjoying this enough to give it a 19, but for the price of 27 year old Bruichladdich, that really isn't a high enough rating.