Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie

Herbal Briney Floral. The oak seems so much fresher on the nose. In the glass the light color is obvious and actually not so appealing to the eye. But on the nose it is floral and full bodied.

A couple drops of water bring out some more nuance. Before doing so, not too many distinguishing notes. No noticeable sweeter vanilla/oak that’s found in similar whiskys it’s mostly a pleasant burn but not much else. Decent but nothing special.

Grassy, light and floral. It’s youth lends only a hint of yellow straw colour, malty sweetness on the nose with vanilla custard and creme brûlée.

Nose of fresh fruit and hint of coconut. Young rubber. Simple. Nice though. Palette continues that. Well balanced, straightforward barley and honey, young. Walnut and a touch of vanilla. Really nice to drink. Ends with nice touch of salt. Warm. Good one that doesn’t require much thought to enjoy.

The Classic Laddie is a great bottle of whisky to enjoy with company if you have plenty of time to spare. The 50% ABV might be a little strong for the average whisky drinker, but if you let your dram air our for about 10 minutes, the alcoholic punch won't be as dominating. That said, the nose is beautiful. It begins with warm, buttery notes that evolve into pure sweetness (reminded me of the Bladnoch 10 Year). Although advertised as an unpeated Islay Scotch, I did detect some smoke on the palate/finish, but it doesn't last long as this whisky is predominantly sweet with a hint of baking spices. Despite being a NAS, I thoroughly enjoyed this naturally-coloured whisky and I honestly think it's a great introduction to Bruichladdich. Fun fact: The code on the base of the bottle can be entered on their website so you can see which unique cask recipe was used. NOSE: Butterscotch, sultana, almonds, tangerine, tapioca PALATE: Light smoke, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, demerara sugar FINISH: Light smoke, poached pears, caramel, honey, malt Rating: 84/100 Grade: B Good – not a “must”, but a nice-to-have.