Bruichladdich XVII

[patrick dicaprio]

does anyone have notes on this? i had it at a restaurant and found it to be very subtel. I am not sure i caught all of the flavors. any thoughts on it are appreciated.

Pat

[Lawrence]

Yes, it's very subtle, you most likely did catch all that was there. I think that you'll find some fruit and maritime notes on the nose and then follwed by more fruity flavours and a med to long finish.

[hpulley]

For a punchy Bruichladdich, try the '89 Fullstrength 57.1%. Normally Laddies are restrained but I like this one as the extra ABV gives it a fuller body, a more open nose and a more vibrant finish. It stands up well to watering down as well if the high alcohol puts you off. It is my favorite Laddie at the moment.

Harry

[robs42]

For a really good Bruichladdich look out for the Bruichladdich Independance. It's cask strength (55%), using various aged casks, including some sherry butts (so this is their version of the Uigeadail).

Despite the high alcohol it doesn't give any noseburn plus it takes alot of water. The sherry mainly comes out in the nose with some peat smoke in the background. On the palate the smoke comes through more powerfully, along with some nut (praline? - is excentuated with the addition of water), and a rich oakiness. The finish is typical B'laddich salty/brine (not too long though) and altogether it is a quite a full bodied malt.

It should be released in inependant whisky sellers (hence the name) e.g. Whisky Exchange / RMW, shortly after Whisky Live London. Well worth looking out for.

[MGillespie]

Wait until you try the new 3D Peat Proposal...I had a chance to sample a taste last night and it's amazing at cask strength. Intense peat, but still extremely smooth. Jim McEwan has created a masterpiece (and I'm not on the Bruichladdich payroll!).

Mark

[robertk]

I agree, the 3D is pretty awesome and I'm not on their payroll either (although I'd like to be!).

The XVII is though, to me, quite superior but these two are hardly comparable.

Regards, Robert

PS. But the 3D is not cask strength.. "only" 46% last time I checked.

[Mr Fjeld]

I agree, the 3D is pretty awesome and I'm not on their payroll either (although I'd like to be!).

The XVII is though, to me, quite superior but these two are hardly comparable.

Regards, Robert

PS. But the 3D is not cask strength.. "only" 46% last time I checked.

I have to agree with you! I find both good and the 3D has a more mellow peat in taste as well as strength than other Islays, but I still like it. The 17 is one of the best whiskies I've had so far and is one of my absolute faves.

Christian

[MGillespie]

I agree, the 3D is pretty awesome and I'm not on their payroll either (although I'd like to be!).

The XVII is though, to me, quite superior but these two are hardly comparable.

Regards, Robert

PS. But the 3D is not cask strength.. "only" 46% last time I checked.

You're right, Robert...I stand corrected. The pre-release sample I had a chance to taste was at cask strength, and that's where I got confused. Thanks for correcting my mistake!

Mark

[Deactivated Member]

I bought a bottle of the Bruichladdich 3D last night and can't say I care for it. To my mind, the peat was competing with the malt to see which could spoil the other. The nose was not integrated with the smooth sherry coming through first and then just obliterated by peat. The taste was very dry and I thought it was also quite hot. The aftertaste was just peatsmoke - nothing else, and not even the sweetness you get with some other peatmonsters. It lasted for ever, too. Could only shake it with Black Bottle.

Disappointed too with the packaging. Firstly, the tin was a standard limited edition tin with a couple of stickers put over the original labelling. The "tasting notes" on the back had been altered by hand to cross out "lightly peated".

Even worse inside - the booklet said the distillery name is pronounced "Brook Laddie"! No it isn't - not even close Their logo, too, is "BL" rather than "BC". That's just shoddy.

'Fraid I had never really got to know this distillery and can't say I'm likely to try it again.

[Mr Fjeld]

Sorry to hear you are that disappointed. I find it good and interesting for being a Bruichladdich - but not outstanding. Do try the 17 which is an all bourbon matured whisky. I really like that latter and hopefully you will too. The standard 10 is also worth trying - a more subtle and easy going whisky and a perfect starter.

Skål!
Christian

[Deactivated Member]

"Brook Laddie" is pretty rough, but close, at least to the way the locals say it. How do you propose to pronounce it? And why on earth would the logo be BC? Sure, the name is derived from "Bruach (bank) a' Chladaich (shore)" (courtesy peatfreak.com). But the compound as currently spelled is plainly "Bruich Laddich".

[Tom]

Two weeks ago we did a full bruichladdich tasting at home.
i found the 20Y old a bit better then the rest. second came the 17 and third the 3D.( Also tasted the 10, 15 and an independent of James McArthur at Cask strength)
i'll post the tasting notes of those 3. its not because the 20Y is the oldest or most expencive that it is the best, as a matter of fact it happens seldom that the oldest rates as the highest for me. This time i liked it best.
Bruichladdich 17
nose: Sweet and balanced, full nose, fruity with citrustones.malty, when warmed in hand milkchocolate emerges.slightly honey, overall a nice and "round" nose.
Taste: Beautiful balance between flavors. Overall sweet-ish, and accessible. Soft vanilla, slightly spirity and smoky. round body and an extensive palate enough motion to keep you bussy.
Finish: Slightly sticky. sweet, beautifull transition without a lot of changes. Some vanilla and sweet malt and at the end a hint of smoke and very slightly bitter oak.
Opinion: 88 -Very good balance, round whisky that delivers what he promises. Sweet-ish and complex with a long and complicated flavorprofile.
Bruichladdich 20
Nose: Light nose. Blossoms, floral, some aldehydes, sweetish, reasoneble complex but unbalanced by the floral tones. Flowery and then some subtle hints of oak and iodine.
Taste: Sweet, Lots of vanilla, sweet malt, very complex with a whirlwind of sweet flavors all at once. Spirity, here and there you got some oak movement.
Finish: Beutifull oak makes its presence now. short to medium length. Sweet and floral. crispy malt, However slightly unbalanced by some off-notes every now and then. for the rest a beautifull and sweet final.
Opinion: 89 -Complex with a mass of flavors at the same time in the mouth. Slightly unbalanced by the floral tones but the sweet malt and vanilla make it all up again.
Bruichladdich 3D
Nose: Sweetish with mild vanilla and sweet malt, complex, peat-smoke and even woodsmoke. Balanced, somewhat young wood, cacao, Hint of liquerice, quite restrained and refuses to give away its aromas.needs some time and warming up. Slightly rubber, also fruity and very lightly feinty even.
Taste: very well balanced, medium peated, sweet and spirity. slightly fruity with green apples, quite woody, obviously quite young oak but never too young. Liquerice.
Finish: obvious oak, sometimes slightly bitter oak too.overall sweet, there's a candy like flavor there wich is subtle and teasing. hints of liquerice again and some light off-notes that shows its young age. first peat, then smoke, also slightly dry and a hint of salt at the lips at the end.
Opinion: 86 -Reasoneble complex with lots of young yet good oak. Good start in the mouth with the spirit and attitude of a teenager. Malt is the key for its splendid balance.
Although not the best, i found the 3D a welcome addition to the range we have at this time. its a different expression but deffinatly worth a try.

[Nikwik]

According to Bruichladdich themselves (once again) it is

http://www.bruichladdich.com/bruichla.au

[lambda]

I seem to have a different taste than the people who have responded so far.. For example, I prefer the 15 over the 17, but it's hard for me to say why exactly. I suppose it's the nice whiff of sherry that's in there that I like.

As for the 3D, I'm not that enthusiastic as some of you. It has a solid bruichladdich base and of course nice peat, but I can't help to focus on the young element (malty notes?) that put me off. I'm not saying it's bad stuff, but I simply do not understand that enthusiasm.

I suppose it's a matter of taste, or I just have no clue about whisky

[lambda]

Oh, I failed to see that Nick doesn't care much for 3D either. Sorry I overlooked you

[Deactivated Member]

It should be pronounced something along the lines of "Broowee - khlad - eekh" With the stress on the "khlad" and "kh" pronounced like the end of loch. If the ending were supposed to be silent, it would end in "-idh" or "-ith".

Having said that, I can't work out quite how they got from the Gaidhlig to the English spelling anyway. I think it would look better as Bruach a'chladaich but no doubt some clever Gaels will correct me.

[Mr Fjeld]

I'm sure you have better knowledge about this but did you see what Nikwik wrote about what the homesite of Bruichladdich say about it (it's accidentaly the same au.file as on the SMWS site) :

http://www.bruichladdich.com/bruichla.au

Skål!
Christian

[Deactivated Member]

My internet won't let me access the address - what does it say?

[Mr Fjeld]

It suggests the way Bruichladdich should be spoken. Apart from that I understand that gaelic words and dialects differ quite much in the Hebrides. The dialect and gaelic of the island of Lewis is quite different from that of Islay if I'm not mistaken. So I guess there are several possible ways to pronounce the name.

Skål!
Christian

[Deactivated Member]

I'm not the one to say I know for sure, but generally vowel combinations like "ui" in Gaelic are not pronounced as two separate vowels. And the silent (or perhaps near-silent) "ch" at the end is not uncommon.

We could use a native speaker here, or someone who has studied the language, at least.

[Nikwik]

Haven´t we had these type of discussions before and they usually end with "You can either...or...or even...". Even if we find a native speaker it seems to depend where you live, where you was born etc.

I´m sure that even if we go to the bar in Port Charlotte Hotel and find 5 native speakers living in the area we get at least two different answers...

[Deactivated Member]

Well, now that I've thought on it some more, it seems to me that, although the name is derived from Gaelic, it's like any other mutated place name--Montréal, Boston, Massachusetts--and like all of those, the correct pronunciation is the one used by the people who live there.

[Paul A Jellis]

I´m sure that even if we go to the bar in Port Charlotte Hotel and find 5 native speakers living in the area we get at least two different answers... [/quote]

Having been, there I doubt it.

My money is on 'brook laddie'. With the 'brook' being said faster than 'laddie'.

But all that does not change the fact that they make fantastic whisky. I love the new 3D, and I can't wait for the Octomore, I had the luck to try some new spirit, very new - just two days old - and that tasted great! It's about time that Jim McEwan is 'Sir Jim McEwan' for services to whisky AND whisky drinkers!!!

Cheers

Paul

[Nikwik]

I would not dare to joke about Port Charlotte Hotel, its customers and people living nearby if i haden´t visited the place.

[Mr Fjeld]

I'm sure the people on living on Islay pronounce Bruichladdich in a certain way. However, there are more gaelic speaking people than those living on Islay and I'm sure there are alternative ways of pronouncing the name. Even in my country there are lots of ways of pronouncing places, names and most other things relative to your dialect. Now I know for a fact that gaelic isn't "similar" all over the gaelic speaking western Scottland. So it might not be neccesarily - but highly likely that Bruichladdich is pronounced in a variety of ways.

Skål!
Christian

[Nikwik]

I think it´s more important to drink it than to pronounce it "properly"...

[Mr Fjeld]

Hehe....you are absolutely right about that!

After several whiskies one cannot pronounce anything properly at all!

Skål!
Christian

[Deactivated Member]

Interesting points, but Brook-Laddie can't be right even with dialects. Firstly, "ch" can never be silent. Secondly, it can never be hard. Thirdly, u followed by another vowel is always pronounced separately. Fourthly, there would never be a parsing to separate the ch and the l. I think this has been dumbed down for non Gaidhlig speakers in a rather trivial way. Fake - a bit like the 3D whisky.

As for calling it "Laddie", it would be a bit like calling Newcastle "ast" - i.e. missing off the beginning and end of one of the component words.

[Nikwik]

Before speaking about "fake", why don´t you contact people at the distillery who both live there and speak the lingo, for example Ella Edgar:

http://www.bruichladdich.com/office_team.htm

With all due respect, sitting in Edinburgh and telling people in Islay how to pronounce their whisky sounds a bit elitistic to me...

[karlejnar]

Now now - we don't all speak gaelic do we? It may have been "anglified" (don't know the right word - cause I'm danish ) like uisge beatha becoming whisky, because non-gaelic speakers cannot pronounce it properly.

The way the Ileach's at Bruichladdich itself pronounce it might be wrong following gaelic pronouncement rules. But since they mostly speak scots when talking to visitors I find it to be in order.

And there is certainly nothing wrong with shorting the name to 'Laddie' among whisky lovers because we all know what it means don't we?

The fun of life is in the variety. And variety is what Bruichladdich malt whisky is all about. That's why some people like the 10 or 15yo because of the bourbon/sherry mix. Others like myself prefers the 100% bourbon matured like XVII, (old) Twenty, Full Strength, Sinnsear, 1970 etc.

And I wouldn't call 3D a fake just because it's a vatting of different casks. That would make 10, 15, Infinity, etc. fakes too.
Whether you like 3D is another matter and again one of personal taste

Fake is giving me bad associations to some unscrupulous sellers on eBay these days, but that's a completely different story.

[Mr Fjeld]

Well said!

Skål!
Christian

[lambda]

Firstly, "ch" can never be silent. Secondly, it can never be hard.

Hmm, actually according to http://www.medievalscotland.org/lang/ga ... ants.shtml it is a voiceless fricative. If it should be velar (like a k) or palatal (like a c) I can't say based on that website.. listening to the sound, it seems more like a palatal to me.

[Deactivated Member]

Sorry, I didn't mean to be as abrasive as I was.

But I do think it is important that the Gaidhlig language is respected as something worth preserving in its own right (it is in terrible danger of extinction) and not something to be simplified or mangled in order to promote whisky. A good model for sensitive use of Gaidhlig, although I can't vouch for the whisky, is Allt a'bhainne - the stream of milk.

[Mr Fjeld]

......I would say the sound is like when you press the tongue towards the upper back of your mouth. Like in Glenfiddich. Lot's of names on things and places become "corrupted" over time and the way they are spoken or pronounced are altered.

Let's just drink the stuff as Nikwik suggested....


Christian

Ps! and the 17 IS really good!

Edit: someone should contact Bruichladdich themselves and ask!

[Deactivated Member]

Excuse me for repeating myself (thus making myself very heavily peated indeed), but the name is derived from Gaelic; it is obviously not proper Gaelic. We have a similar circumstance in North America, where many place names are derived from the various aboriginal tongues, but plainly have changed from their original pronunciations, to the point that they would be unrecognizable to a native speaker. (Think of Alice Cooper telling Wayne about Mili Waukeh.) (God, I hate myself for making such pop culture references.) I'd bet dollars to donuts it's much the same in Australia. In fact, I'm sure it's the same most everywhere. I cited the examples of Montréal, from the French Mont Royal (royal mountain); Boston, from English "St. Botolph's Town"; and Massachusetts, from the Algonkian "land of ambitious senators". ( Actually, it's something about the bay, which doesn't mean a lot to those of us living 90 miles inland.) Most every place name has such a mutated history.

Nick, I certainly respect your points regarding Gaelic generally, and you obviously know a lot more about it than any of the rest of us, but I don't think there's any profit in getting hung up on the literal derivations of place names. Who's to say at this point that "ch" comes from the beginning of chladaich rather than the end of bruach? Ultimately it's a pointless distinction, given that the name no longer reflects proper Gaelic. If, in a bit of bilingual punning, the folks want to call the distillery and its products "the 'Laddie", it's their prerogative, and I see no harm in it. (Newcastle, on the other hand, is still recognizable English, and in any case I'd think twice before referring to anything or anyone that comes from there as an "Astle"!)