A couple years back, the folks at Bruiccladdich it was time to make the Classic Laddie an older brother. That’s usually not how that works, but alas, here we are with what Bruiccladdich dubs their flagship bottling—an unpeated 18 year old. I recently reviewed the Classic Laddie, which I thought was excellent. I’m looking forward to this one. Nose: Vanilla, toffee, and custard. Macadamia. Honey and sugar cookie. Dried apricot. Lemon citrus. Crisp Macintosh apple. Honeydew. Menthol. Ginger. Oak. Palate: Heavy on the dried apricot. Some peppermint as well. Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Almond and macadamia. A hoppy, IPA note. Sugar cookie. Pineapple. Chocolate biscotti. Gala apple, raisin, and plum. Finish: Toffee, vanilla, and caramel. Pineapple. Plum and raisin. More of the peppermint. Some rosemary sneaks in right before the rest of the spice kicks in. White pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Long finish. This quite effective as a refined older sibling to the Classic Laddie. It’s fruit forward in a way that is distinctly unpeated Islay. It reminds me of a lot of the Caol Ila special releases to be specific, only with the heat turned way down. There are some citrus and tropical notes that help to set this apart though. It adds a nice touch. The nose is good. The palate and finish are great. The straight jacket they fitted this bottle in is an odd choice, but otherwise this is a great addition to the core range. $170 is steep no matter how you slice it, but the 18 year age statement and the 50% ABV are very respectable. Is it worth the price tag? I’ll say yes—barely. 4.5/5. Well done Bruiccladdich.