Bruichladdich Black Art 1992 05.1 Edition 24 Year

Nose: marshmellow, orange, oak, cherries, grapes, burnt, vanilla, angels share musk. Water: barley sugar, Taste: sherry, spice, orange, coconut, bitter, tobacco, cloves, prunes, figs, bourbon heavier. Water: sweeter, cream, sugar Finish: oak bitters, nut, dryness. Water: sweeter finish, brown sugar, citrus espresso.

This Black Art 5.1 sample was sent to me a couple years ago by my friend and whisky guru @LeeEvolved. I had actually sampled the 4.1 version a bit earlier at Norfolk Wine & Spirits. My first blush reaction at that time was a whisky easily in the 4-star category, but Octomore wowed me more that day and was my eventual purchase. This expensive 24yo expression is made with lightly peated barley and much different than the heavily peated malt used for its Port Charlotte and Octomore brethren. My fascination with Bruichladdich is their ability to create this diverse range of whiskies using the same stills, two of which (wash) date back to 1881 when the distillery first opened. Their Octomore 8.3 release boasts the highest ppm count (smokiness) of any single malt on the market at 309 ppm, yet most agree it seems less smoky than their Port Charlotte expressions that average just 40-50 ppm. How can this be? Well, Andrew Jefford, and his book, Whisky Island: A Portrait of Islay and its Whiskies, gives us some insight into this mystery. We know that phenols are measured and advertised prior to distillation, but Jefford also learned their counts after distillation. He quotes these numbers at 20-25 ppm (estimated) for Port Charlotte and 46.4 ppm for Octomore during the 2003 season. Obviously, this is a closer comparison, but how does distillation alone take Octomore’s triple digit number down by this goodly amount. Let’s have a look. The distillery uses very tall plain-pot stills (6 meters) with long thin necks. This promotes refluxing or the capturing and returning of alcoholic toxins/volatiles back into the wash or spirit. A still’s lyne arm design can also be a factor. A rising arm (Ardbeg, Bowmore, & Laphroaig) also promotes refluxing. Bruichladdich’s stills utilizes a lyne arm that descends gently. Also, the size of the charge into the still is important. A smaller charge or fill amount means more copper contact for toxin elimination if the desire is to create a lighter, more elegant spirit. Coal Ila, for example, uses the smallest charge on Islay at 37 to 41% of fill capacity. Foreshots (heads) and aftershots (feints) contain the most undesirable components (congeners), where the middle cut contains the most desirable or good congeners. The amount of time spent at these cut points varies widely and can dictate a lighter, elegant versus a rich, oily, and more pungent style of spirit. In addition to all of this, Bruichladdich’s condensers are supposedly the biggest on Islay (2 tons each) and this could be their magic bullet. They each contain 210 one inch tubes, which means lots of copper contact. Also, the recovery temperature inside the condenser can be regulated. A higher temperature means slower condensation time and more copper contact for volatile extraction. Bruichladdich’s distillation configuration gives them a lot of flexibility as evidenced by the variety of distinct whisky styles they produce. This 24yo Black Art 5.1 comes rolling in at 48.4% ABV. Little is known about the cask types, but most guess at a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-wine. This seems confirmed by a fruity and robust nose, accompanied by vanilla toffee, toasted almonds and malt. The palate is sweet, rich and peppery. It then turns vermouth-like, drying into a resinous oak, malt and spicy finish. A very complex and delightful dram, indeed. A solid 4.25 stars. Thanks Lee!