Bruichladdich Black Art 1989 03.1 Edition 22 Year

Beautiful dark fruits on the nose. Spicy, complex and rich deep on the palate. A nice lingering finish without being spicy. Beautiful. The only way it would be better was if it was cask strength.

The best black art I’ve ever tried and possibly the best whisky I’ve ever tried. So many flavors and so much going on. Nose: Raisins, Honey, Strawberries, Raspberries, Jelly Beans, Coffee, Chocolate, Smoke, Caramel, Vanilla, Cherries, Mangoes, Peaches, Pineapples, Pepper, Plums, Flowers, Pears, Citrus, watermelon and green apple jolly ranchers, almonds, hazlenuts, papaya, oranges, coconuts, marzipan, passion fruit Palate: Raisins, Sour Cherries, toffee, dark chocolate, pepper, honey, flowers, black cherries, prunes, Meats, walnuts, almonds, cashews, cinnamon, toasted barley, mocha, citrus, smoke, blackberries, currants Finish: raisins, cinnamon, chocolate, cherries, toffee, pepper, apricots, truffles, sultanas, burnt pineapples, mangoes, citrus, almond pastry, vanilla, strawberries, raspberries From my guess, this was likely matured in a combination of bourbon, sherry, port, sauternes, red wine, white wine, and peated whisky casks.

N: quick hit of cake batter/egg tart, milk chocolate at the open. turns to jammy zin. Dried fruits of cranberry, raisins and figs. Slight fine oak saw dust/varnish. Complex. another swirl, another note. Very much like the 24 yr old armagnac I had last night. P: syrupy, full, round, oily. Drapes your tongue. Mouthfeel so important for me. This is one of the best. Dried fruit now replaced by fresh fruits carried over but goes away quickly. Vanilla and milk pudding takes over. F: drying to a Vanilla Coke. Not as long as I had hoped. Conclusion Very desserty. The nose blew my mind. Very complex and lovely. Not a single offensive note. I didn’t want to finish it so I can keep sniffing my glass. I need to revisit my BA6 to compare. I don’t believe the nose comes close.

Incredibly complex with aromas of fruity Sherry and some sweetness, maybe ice wine, as well as brinyness. The finish is incredible with an enhanced version of the sort of muskiness characteristic of Bruichladdich. 96

Amazing and complex, takes water very well.