Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2008

Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2008 (50% abv)

I believe this is a travel retail exclusive, so thanks to JE for getting this on his way back from the Philippines. Fairly affordable at just over $100 at Duty Free. I think the bottle's really pretty too - clear, transparent glass, light gold liquid, and white text. If only the text was better organized - this feels a little messy, like they had too much information to cram into too small a space. I think the words could be cut down since the information on the bottle is replicated on the tin can.

But maybe that's the way to flaunt hipster street-cred: by having all the information about source materials on the bottle.

Colour - a really pretty light gold.

Nose - rather sharp. Lemons and light smoke, or maybe charred wood. Very fresh lemons, I should add. There's a bit of some barley, perhaps slightly toasted. This is not a big nose, but what it does, it does rather well and very precisely, especially with the fresh lemons and citrus. Some light salt - lighter than, say, a Talisker 10.

Palate - It's youth tells, with a strong alcoholic attack. After that, there's quite a bit more of those lemons from the nose. Some nuts as well - a little like peanut butter without added salt and preservatives. A little bit of spice build up - nutmeg and maybe tumeric? I found this slightly bitter though. Hmm. Is that some toasted barley? Didn't feel sweet or rich enough to be chocolate or ccocoa. But maybe the bitter on a slightly overdone espresso...

Finish - Again, sharp. Citrusy fruits that are more acidic than sweet, a continuation of the same spices. Some lingering notes of charred wood, together with the drying effect.

Overall - This is a very consistent and coherent whisky. The nose, palate and finish are very closely tied together, and presents a very clean precise profile. But I'm not sure I like this very much. It's good, but maybe not quite my favourite taste profile.