The Classic Laddie comes in a stylish turquoise bottle with strong 50% ABV, natural color and no chill-filtration. That's a good start. On the nose, you get rich barley sugar, toasted bread and baked apple intermingled with heather honey, candy floss and floral notes. After a minty-fresh, astringent and zesty arrival, the taste develops bland and one-dimensional. Young, spirity and lacking body, Bruichladdich's NAS expression disappoints with a swift, aromatic and unpleasantly bitter finish. It's not a bad Islay whisky, but where are age and substance? RATING: 3.2/5.0 stars ≙ 81 pts → AVERAGE [+]