Bruichladdich recently renewed its bottle design (reducing environmental impact along the way) and this Bere Barley 2013 is the first to come in this new bottle. Even the average temperature, rain and sunshine during the harvest season are mentioned on the new label!
Remember Bere is the oldest strain of cultivated cereal in Britain. Harder to work with, but more interesting results. This whisky comes from first-fill bourbon barrels (80%) and second-fill Pauillac wine casks (20%).
Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2013 (50%, OB 2023)
Nose: apple and lemon candy, as well as peach sherbet, with a nice malty dustiness and sourdough bread in the background. Other green fruits constantly mix with chalky notes, white flowers, honeycob and some vanilla. Later a slightly tropical fruity note – I’m even getting an echo of these undisclosed 1990-1991 Islay Malts. Then some green tea and light waxy notes. Beautiful.
Mouth: sweet pear and melon, pink grapefruit and citrus peels, along with rye bread, herbal extracts, plenty of minerals and chalk. A nice creamy maltiness, with hints of brown sugar, hay and orange peels. Then some vanilla and a touch of white pepper.
Finish: long, malty with lingering citrus, honey, minerals and oak spice.
This is beautifully ideosyncratic whisky. It shows depth, a great balance between austerity and roundness, and an old-style mineral side. This seems significantly better than before too. It’s one of the most expensive 10 year olds on the market, but it makes up for some of that with the quality. Available from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt, among others.