Islay’s Bruichladdich Distillery is rolling out three limited-edition 10 year old single malts—The Laddie 10, Port Charlotte, and Octomore—as well as its fifth edition of Black Art. Read on for details.
Bruichladdich The Laddie 10 Second Limited Edition
Style: Single malt scotch
Origin: Islay
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $66
Release: March 2017
Availability: 18,000 bottles for the world
Need to know:
Distilled in 2006 from 100% Scottish barley, this unpeated whisky was matured in first-fill ex-bourbon, sherry, and French wine casks. It’s coloring-free and non-chill filtered.
Whisky Advocate says:
Once upon a time, the Laddie 10 was a standard release, but it went to limited-edition status a few years ago. This one scored an 89 in our Spring 2017 Buying Guide.
Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Second Limited Edition
Style: Single malt scotch
Origin: Islay
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $70
Release: March 2017
Availability: 18,000 bottles for the world
Need to know:
Also distilled in 2006 from 100% Scottish barley, it was matured in first-fill bourbon, sherry, Tempranillo, and French wine casks. This whisky is heavily peated (40 PPM), non-chill filtered, and without added coloring.
Whisky Advocate says:
Like the Laddie 10, Port Charlotte has evolved over the years and is now a limited-edition release.
Bruichladdich Octomore 10 year old
Style: Single malt scotch
Origin: Islay
Proof: 57.3% ABV
Price: $235
Release: March 2017
Availability: 18,000 bottles for the world
Need to know:
Distilled in 2006 with all-Scottish barley and bottled in 2016, this second limited-edition Octomore is a blend of 60% whisky matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and 40% whisky matured in Grenache Blanc casks. It clocks in at 167 PPM and is non-chill filtered with natural coloring.
Whisky Advocate says:
People who love Octomore don’t need our advice here. This latest entry in the “most heavily peated whisky series” (according to Bruichladdich) will make peatheads very happy.
Bruichladdich Black Art V
Style: Single malt scotch
Origin: Islay
Proof: 48.4% ABV
Price: $399
Release: April 2017
Availability: 12,000 bottles for the world
Need to know:
The fifth release of Bruichladdich’s unpeated Black Art is 24 years old. It was matured in American oak and “premium wine casks” and is non-chill filtered with no coloring added.
Whisky Advocate says:
Bruichladdich likes to be mysterious with this whisky, which is why we don’t have information about the barrels used for maturation beyond “premium wine casks.” But we do know that former master distiller Jim McEwan developed the recipe for Black Art V before retiring in 2015 and gave it to current head distiller Adam Hannett—who ignored it in favor of making the whisky in his own way.
