Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley (50% abv) - This one was sipped at Harry's Bar at Novena Square, in the middle of a trying week at work. Heard good things about this from JE. Let's see how good it is.

Nose - The glass wasn't ideal for sniffing, so I'm probably not getting the most out of this. Lots of ripe apples. Almost caramelized, in fact. Vanilla. Some wood in there too. This is very nice. Almost like a good Speyside, until the whiffs of sea breeze rise up to meet you. This is an Islay's, after all. I think there's some peaches among the apples. Or maybe honey dew, or rock melon.

Palate - This is very nice! A smooth continuation of the nose, with an added spice kick, rather more like ginger than pepper. Hardly any alcohol burn, which is really pleasant for 50%. This is good stuff. Very good for an entry level NAS whisky, essentially. Smooth, sweet, fruity, well-balanced, low on alcohol burn. I'm impressed.

Finish - A touch of smoke. Unpeated, but this is slightly smoky. And I'm one of those who will say that there's a difference. A bit more of that ginger-like spice, and the oak lingers a bit. I think this should be considered a short finish, but there's enough in there to keep it interesting, and to keep the drinker continuously sipping.

Overall - Not a world beater, but there's space on every shelf for something so balanced and good at an entry level. Maybe I'll try to find a bottle, after I finish my Oban 14, which is developing very nice orange notes, after sitting half empty in the cupboard for a couple of months. Yum.