Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2009

The nose starts with some honey and sea spray and a very light something - almost cherry wood? Starts smooth and a little buttery with a hint of sweetness before showing its youth. A lemon pepper kick follows with saltiness and light smoke.

I am not a huge fan of Bruichladdich. In fact, if there were a small meteor headed for Islay and I had the godlike power to choose which distillery would take the hit, it'd probably be these guys (sorry! I just love my peaty scotches too much). With that being said, this unpeated line of whiskies, put out under the distillery's own name, isn't half-bad. Bruichladdich is leading the charge in the so-called "terroir"movement, as a recent article on Distiller highlights. Here's what one-of-a-kind Islay-ness produces: a strong nose of apple cider and scents similar to rose wine, including a little zest and cotton candy. On the palate, there are loads of classic scotch honey, grapefruit and more apple, and a mixture of waxy, spicy, and nutty characteristics that is quite an overload of flavors. It's a bit discordant, but also complex. The finish is spicy and a tiny bit bitter, and is where the whisky's youth reveals itself.

very savory. very smoky. but almost a savory bbq smoke.