When my whisky buddy Thijs reviewed this whisky and rated it 9 out of 10, I knew I had to get myself a bottle. I always have liked Bruichladdich, and I like what they’re doing with their Islay barley bottlings. While this barley isn’t from Islay but from Orkney, it should not limit the enjoyment we get.

Anyway, Bere Barley. One of the oldest, if not the oldest, cultivated grains in Europe. It’s really interesting that aspects of whisky making like barley strains and yeast are getting some attention too. It’s been about casks for a long time, and Bruichladdich wasn’t an exception. But, while casks do impart a lot of flavor, for a long time it’s been said that grain and yeast were not very important. As it turns out, they are.

I don’t know where, but I read somewhere: You can ruin a good spirit with a bad cask, but you can’t fix a bad spirit with a good cask. So, spirit matters. And with Springbank’s local barley, Kilchoman and Bruichladdich with their Islay barleys, Lindores Abbey going more and more local, things are moving in the right direction.

Oh yeah, this one matured in fresh bourbon casks from Jim Beam and Jack Daniels.

Sniff:
Lots of barley, straw, rushes and grass. Quite a bit of very fresh oak. White pepper and other hard spices. Crisp salinity, grist. A whiff of sherbet too.

Sip:
The palate is quite harsh, with heaps of barley, grist, fresh oak shavings. White pepper, some resin. Quite a green part too, with grass, ferns, rushes.

Swallow:
The sherbet notes are strongest here. Milky, slightly floral. Heaps of barley, sharper than I’m used to. Dry with some spicy notes too.

So, I’m not as enthusiastic about this as Thijs was. Although, it is a rather nice drop! There’s a lot to like and even though it matured in fresh bourbon casks, it’s not as sweet as some of those drams are. Which is a good thing! It’s very dry with lots of spicy notes. A great showing of spirit and barley.

87/100