Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie

It's time for a wonderful whisky tasting flight from the fine lads at Bruichladdich, on the island of Islay. I'm enjoying the Wee Laddie Tasting Collection from these guys, which contains 3 200ml (8oz) samples of their core offerings: Classic Laddie, Islay Barley, and Port Charlotte Scottish Barley Heavily Peated. To run the entire gamut I've also opened a bottle of Octomore 7.1, in a valiant effort to go from unpeated all the way to the most heavily peated whisky in the world. I have a feeling my head isn't going to be thanking me in the morning, but I must do this because of science. Science, people. First off, for those of you not familiar with the Bruichladdich family here's a brief intro and a bit of info on how to determine what you should expect from these guys. Any whisky branded as Bruichladdich is completely unpeated, so if you think you taste peat in them you are only imagining it. The Port Charlotte branded bottles are considered heavily peated and the Octomore is, well, like licking a peat bog and then sipping whisky. An earthy, smoky campfire in your belly. Catch my drift? Okay, let's begin... First up is the Classic Laddie. When you spot the pastel blue bottle you've found it. It's golden yellow in color, is non-chill filtered and comes in at a hearty 100 proof. The nose is sweet vanilla, honey with a hint of citrus and sea spray. It isn't intense and you could close your eyes, inhale deeply and transport your consciousness to Islay. Seriously, try that. The initial sip is incredibly soft and light. A bit of orchard fruit and cereal malts, with a quick bite of citrus just as the heat from the higher proof kicks in and smacks your tastebuds to attention. The finish is oily, kind of long with a steady burn that dissipates into a salt water taffy flavored stickiness. The entire sip is actually kind of sensual. Who doesn't dig that? Overall, this could become a welcome staple in my home bar. Just a truly enjoyable dram. A solid 4 star starting point in tonight's flight. Cheers, my friends.

Caramel, butterscotch, floral notes, peppery spice, apricot, jasmine, oak, cedar, hint of salt.

GREAT for the price. 7.5/10