It’s hard to draw conclusions about this complex bottling on the basis of a half-ounce sample, but my suspicion that this would be less than the sum of its parts has been only heightened. To rewind: Bruichladdich sold samples of some of the casks that went into this 20th anniversary bottling as part of its virtual Feis Ile day on May 30 and I was fortunate enough to secure a pack. The samples were drawn from six of the seven bourbon casks used in the vatting and each showcased the Laddie spirit so beautifully that it would be a shame if they are drowned out by the wine casks that make up the other half of the recipe. The bourbon casks comprised whisky from its oldest remaining stocks of organic barley (distilled in 2003), Islay barley (2004) and Bere barley (2009), alongside spirit made using its first ever biodynamic crop (distilled 2011), a regional barley (2013) and its first triple distillation in 2005. Each of them was crisply flavored, silky in the mouth and easy to drink neat despite ABVs running as high as 69.3% for the triple distillation. The absence of ethanol on the nose across the samples was testimony to the careful selection by head distiller Adam Hannett. I had only small sips of each during the online masterclass and didn’t take notes, but the rich butterscotch nose on the Black Isle regional barley experiment was among the immediate highlights. I passed on the ballot for this bottle given the 150 pound cost, but got to try a sample this weekend as part of the Water of Life charity’s Feis Off event. The nose has the distinctive lactive aromas that scream Bruichladdich, along with a whiff of spice and faint berries. My small pour was insufficient to unpack the flavors in the mouth, but it packs a punch on first sip and then evolves into flavors of malt and a gentle sweetness. The finish is a complex shape-shifter, taking some interesting vegetal turns. I’d be curious to try more — but not so much that I’d trade what’s left of my cask samples.