Re-tasting, based on batch L/161142, recipe 17/092, bottled on 26 April 2017. [My original Distiller review from 19 Feb 2018 also appears below.] Nose: Soft, fragrant cereal with a generous, buxom honeyed personality. Apricot nectar, ripe peaches, vanilla flowers, melon, musk oil, night-blooming jasmine and delicate red wine notes. There's the faintest possible suggestion of smoke and a hint of briny sea-breeze in the background as well. As it rests in the glass and warms, a buttery malt aroma arises. Palate: Sweet honeyed cereal, like a bowl of rice flakes, honey, sweet yoghurt and fresh ripe white figs. Mild baking spices, but very subdued (spice biscuits warm from the oven and cooling on the table). There's a hint of apple, but primarily this whisky is a platform for cereal to show its charms. The texture is creamy and lip-smacking. Finish: Medium. Genteel, sweet and cereal, with a note of mead and Côtes du Rhône red. I strongly recommend adding about half a teaspoon of water to a one ounce dram of this whisky. That (to me anyway) allows it to sing in full voice. This batch used Scottish mainland barley and the new-make was matured in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels, PX sherry butts, Spanish Ribera del Duergo 1st fill hogheads and French Rhone 2nd fill hogsheads. I love Bruichladdich for their full-throttle geekiness in making batch recipe information available to customers. I'm also convinced that this whisky has improved by an order of magnitude over the last decade. The last time I rated it here was immediately after a Bruichladdich tasting night where it was the first dram in a flight that included some seriously impressive whiskies. In that context it rated well, but was overshadowed by the powerful presence of Port Charlotte and Octomore drams. Tasting it tonight however, in isolation and in a relaxed setting, it performs much more expressively and can be appreciated for the fine and often unsung whisky that it is. It's warm, comforting, delicious, gentle and honest, but all too easy to upstage. The seductive enthusiasm of this malt is irresistible, the distillery character being free of the distractions of intense sherry or blustering peat. This is the pure fragrant nymph that is Bruichladdich, naked other than for a gauzy robe of wine. To top it off, it's even reasonably priced. If you have not tasted this lovely dram for a while I urge you to take another look. Highly recommended. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Original review from 19 February 2018] Bruichladdich Masterclass, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 19 February 2018, Whisky #1 Nose: Soft light barley, a sweet cereal nose with floral overtones reminiscent of musk, heather, jasmine and honey. A heady and full aroma. There's also a faint briny note but I don't detect any smoke. Palate: A soft arrival that develops into a warm cereal palate with mild ginger, cinnamon and cardamom spices overlaying white grape juice. Gentle orchard fruits sprinkled with brown sugar. Turkish delight. Finish: Medium/short. Soft, slightly winey, and the faintest hint of smoke in the tail. A drop of water adds a tang to the end. I've tasted this several times but only recently bought a bottle. I think this malt is sometimes overlooked in the rush to the smoky whisky shelves, which is a shame as it's interesting and different from the typical Islay profile. The nose is arguably the best part of the experience, having a warm and comforting deep floral quality that has greater weight than other floral whiskies I can think of (totally different to the light, almost ethereal flowers in Tomintoul 10, for example). The palate is not quite as good as the nose. It's not bad, in fact it's most enjoyable and comforting and follows on closely from the nose, but it is a just a little bit two-dimensional in comparison and the finish is good but not spectacular. A 4 star nose with a 2.5 star palate. This is a core expression, but with true batch production (the finishing casks vary quite a bit), so it will change a little all the time. You can find out the specific combination of casks used in your bottle by visiting the Bruichladdich site page for The Classic Laddie and entering the batch number on the label in the "Laddie Recipe" box. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------