Archives Bruichladdich 2002 60.9%

This item is archived.

Only 12 bottles are coming to KWM of this very sherried Bruichladdich from Whisky Base. Matured for 16 years in a First Fill Sherry Hogshead, the whisky was bottled at a punchy 60.9%. Great Whisky Base score, 89.57pts, based on 79 votes. 90pts Angus for Whisky Fun! Bottled under "The Fishes of Samoa" line, with a picture of a Dusky Wrasse drawn over 100 years ago by George M Bowers.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: thick with cocoa powder, puffed wheat squares, tobacco and Russian caramel; tarry with a touch of creosote; salty with Turkish coffee and Dutch licorice; cooked raisins, stewed prunes, fig jam and a touch of lightly-grilled Parma ham.

Palate: oh my God this is big, dark and brooding; Demerara sugars, leather, dark bakers chocolate, tar, creosote, Russian caramel, Turkish coffee, Dutch licorice and more... its all there; salty and moderately medicinal with crisp spices and leather. Sulphur? Maybe. Peat? Definitely, Laddie... maybe not... possibly Port Charlotte?

Finish: this one starts big and never really lets up; gorgeous finish if you aren't afraid of a little stank.

Comment: I love it... this is a crazy bottle of Bruichladdich; a large proportion of you will hate it; I suspect this is Port Charlotte or at least a more heavily peated batch of Bruichladdich; lots of debate in the shop over how sulphured it is; in my opinion it is not, or at least only slightly; so if you are a sulphur Nazi beware, if not chive on!

90pts Whisky Fun

"This from our great pals at Whiskybase. Will you be at their excellent Gathering festival in Rotterdam in October? If so then come find me and say hello. Serge has promised a few bottles of 1972 Brora for free pouring on my stand... Colour: deep amber. Nose: ooft! An usual profile that is simultaneously full of nervous, clean sherry, briny salinity and medical embrocations. Also lots of salted almonds, Maggi, tar, toasted walnuts, marmite and some kind of mix of espresso and seawater. Extremely potent and punchy stuff! With water: lots of soy sauce, more Maggi, black olives, cough mixtures, herbal bitters, balsamic and some pretty bitter chocolate. Mouth: if you blended tar, leather, black coffee, cola syrup, root beer and cherry cough medicine you might get some kind of mind-expanding smoothie that would resemble this. Despite all this medical potency and seashore bluster, the sherry remains pin sharp and clean throughout. Very impressive stuff! Some grizzly notes of black pepper, cured game meats and yet more tar! With water: beef stock based ramen with some chilli flakes, lots of sea salt, earthy black teas, salted liquorice and things like smoked paprika and jasmine. Finish: long, extremely meaty, herbal, sooty, camphory and medical. Comments: A world of difference from the Bere Barley; same quality! It’s to be wondered if this wasn’t from some of those lightly peated early batches distilled by the new ownership at the time? Either way, superb selection by the Archives team. SGP: 473 - 90 points."

700 ml