Number 8 in the countdown to 300 and we are heading into the territory of some older offerings. Leading the charge is the relatively newly released Bruichladdich 18 re/define. Matured on Islay, the whisky was aged predominantly in bourbon casks, alongside a smaller number of Sauternes and Port casks, vatted and married for nine months before bottling at a robust 50% ABV, without added colour or chill filtration. I’m excited for this dram, I think Bruichladdich is probably in my top four favourite distilleries, and this offering seems to have been lightly touched by two of my favourite cask profiles. I’m ready. N: A little bit aggressive straight out the bottle. Give me five minutes and I’ll come back to this… O.K. where were we? Thats better, all the harsh ABV is gone. This is wonderfully light and fragrant. Lightly honied malt, fresh hay, peach, vanilla, coconut (like Malibu Rum), a slight minerality joins some subtle pencil shavings. The longer I spend with this the more convinced I am of creme brûlée and the firm crunch of brown sugar. P: Decadently velvety, creamy and slightly waxy at the same time. Subtle peach underlies honied malt, and a tropical feeling that is bright, juicy and vibrant. Oak influence turns slightly buttery with a warm and sumptuous porridgy characteristic. ‘Green’ winey flavours of honeysuckle, gooseberry, and melon add to a lovely crispness. The influence of the port casks is just noticeable as an enveloping leatheriness that suggests opulence under the oh so right and light summer profile. F: Deceptively long. It seems short perhaps, green winey notes dissipate, brighter tropical notes flourish and fade. But then a surprise left turn with stoney minerality, a flash of cracked pepper and a little jasmine(?) tea. At 50% perhaps there is more to discover. I have taken a chance and added a single drop of water to the half dram that remains… it married quickly. The nose unravels to tropical fruits, guava and lychee perhaps, the palate lifts a solid toasty pastry flair, and the finish builds on stoney pebbles in the hot sun. I needn’t say anymore really? Bruichladdich are masters at their craft. If i could find this locally $330 would be worth every penny. What a fantastic treat this evening. My only real criticism is the slight intrusiveness of the alcohol; is it possible to have a young 18 year old; that’s perhaps what this feels like. Distiller whisky taste #293 [Pictured here with a piece of Preseli Bluestone from the Preseli Hills of Pembrokeshire in West Wales. Bluestone is a catch all term used to describe all of the ‘foreign’ and ‘exotic’ rocks at the prehistoric monument Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. Although there are around twenty seperate rock types represented at Stonehenge, one of the most common is the ‘Preseli Spotted Dolerite’ or Preseli Bluestone. Dolerites are igneous rocks, essentially identical to basalt but with slightly larger crystals. The Preseli Spotted Dolerite is characterised by clusters of secondary minerals that have replaced the original plagioclase feldspar. The slightly greyish-green-blue colour of the rock is a result of low grade metamorphism in that partly altered the original mineralogy to chlorite and epidote.] Bruichladdich running scores Classic Laddie: 4/5 Bruichladdich 18 re/define: 4.75/5 Black Art 10.1 29 y/o: 5/5 Port Charlotte 10: 4.5/5 Port Charlotte CC:01: 5/5