Bruichladdich Black Art 1990 04.1 Edition 23 Year

Ooooohhh!! Spellbound - by both the taste and the price! But worth every penny. Floral/wine notes were a tad strong, the smoky sweetness agreed with me.

One of my favourite whiskeys. The Black Art 4 1990 rewards patience with an incredible depth of flavour. The influence of the European oak in both the Sauternes and Bordeaux wine casks add a range of fruit notes: tropical fruits initially on the palate make way for more dried fruits notes, dark chocolate, citrus and oak. A complex whiskey, this one is worth letting sit on your tongue just that bit longer. Pairs particularly well with the tangy Cashel Blue cheese.

Nose - Dark dried stone fruits, dark amber honey, hint of saline, toasted brioche, milk chocolate. Taste - Dried cherries, strawberries, cranberries, freshly oiled/tanned leather, hint of sea salt milk chocolate, faint medicinal/fruity honey, lighly drying mouthfeel. Finish - Long gentle sweet fruit leather, gentle warmth, hint of sweet tobacco, wisp of campfire smoke mixed with sea air, cognac/port like sweetness. Score - 94/100 Final Thoughts - I absolutely love the nose on this one in that it has a nice fruity salty chocolaty nose that is well balanced and not overpowering. Once it hits your tongue it delivers on pretty much everything the nose promised in a very well balanced package. The faint fruity/medicinal note is unexpected as it reminds me of goji berries, but not as metallic. The transition to the finish leaves this very pleasant warmth in your mouth like taking a sip of hot cocoa after coming in from the cold on a winter day. Although it's stated as unpeated, I get a very very faint wisp of campfire smoke like if you smelled a campfire on the beach from afar. Not overpowering, but a nice addition. This really reminds me of Bunnahabhain 18 which is another favorite. If not for the price, I'd love to have this on the regular.

I tasted this Black Art as the finale in the non-peated line on a Bruichladdich masterclass. Needless to say, it was the summon of what we tasted that day. The dark, pronounced color was a real feast on the eyes - anticipation and expectations were set high, to say the least. The Black Art completely filled in everything expected, and more! Rich and floral on both the nose as the palate and it is definitely the most exotic and 'colourful' whisky I've tasted this far. It shouldn't come as a surprise that I voted this one as my favourite non-peated whisky of the whole tasting. It's just perfect.

Pure hedonism! Dried fruits, almond syrup, very dark malt, dark roasted coffee, though the proof shows through a bit on the nose. Chewy figs, petrol, sweet rolls, bittersweet chocolate. Really giving whisky, and evolves in the glass too. Little over sherried but only a little. It’s daunting at first but enticing after a sip. Can’t say that about many whiskies.