2011 Lady of the Glen Bruichladdich Single Cask #150 8 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

When Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 by the Harvey Brothers it was a state-of-the-art distillery, built to produce whisky on Islay at an industrial level. Even now it retains some its Victorian innovations, like using an open mash tun. Apart from super-peaty variants, the distillery style is known for its light spirit with hints of smokiness, honey and floral notes. Distilled on the 26th January 2011 and bottled on the 1st October 2019 at cask strength, we've secured just three bottles from the outturn of 253 bottles. Full term in a Bourbon barrel. Gregor Hannah describes notes of sandalwood, lemon and heather flowers. 65.8% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Other reviews... Upon seeing this abv I’m reminded that Bruichladdich were filling casks at still strength during these years. Time for courage and some kind of olfactory seatbelt… Colour: straw. Nose: hot putty, grass, clay, crushed aspirin, boiled shellfish, salty pasta water and lemongrass. Also grass. Did I mention grass? There’s quite a lot of grass. Rather bonkers but with an undeniable sense of purity and power which is pretty impressive. Although I feel my hand automatically reaching for the water… With water: very pure, saline, grassy and becoming slightly floral and almost gin-like with these notes of juniper and coriander. Brutal, powerful but very pure and idiosyncratic. Mouth: Ooft! There’s no getting around the raw, petrolic power of the strength. Having said that, there’s still and wonderfully plush fatness to the baseline maltiness. Malt extract, cereals, sunflower oil, canvas and some farmy and coastal greasiness. With water: wonderfully oily, textural, fatty and full of lime, lemon peel, barley water, cooking oils, sandalwood and beach pebbles. A triumvirate of petrol, coastal minerals and farmyard muscle. Unequivocally charismatic distillate that kind of batters you into admiring submission. Finish: long, sharp, citric, saline, cereal and with an overarching oil slick mouthfeel. Comments: A rather mental whisky, but I think it was probably quite a smart move to bottle this cask in its natural, self state. The kind of whisky you can use for kindling intellectual discussions with pals and hospitalising your enemies. Cask strength charisma. 88 points - Angus, whiskyfun.com