Overview
Join fellow whisky enthusiasts (plus a special guest) for a social, informal break-even whisky tasting.
This time, we'll be doing a vertical tasting of whiskies from Bruichladdich Distillery on the Isle of Islay, located off the west coast of Scotland. Bruichladdich has released countless core and experimental expressions during their long, tumultuous lifetime. They have also produced several distinct styles of distillate over the past few decades.
Special Guest
Jamie Dawson of local independent bottler Blind Summit will be joining us to talk about the delicious Lochindaal 13yr 2009 50% that is featured in the lineup. Jamie has a wealth of whisky and spirits knowledge, and he's a tremendously nice fellow with great chat. You may also know Jamie from Edinburgh's excellent neighbourhood wine/beer/spirits shop, Cork & Cask. It's my absolute pleasure to have him with us!
The Lineup
This tasting is comprised of 6 high-strength drams in 20ml measures. We'll go on a wee sensory journey across the spectrum of the different distillate styles and expressions from Bruichladdich.
-
Bruichladdich 16yr 2006 58.4% (private cask)
- Single cask (#981) / ex-bourbon hogshead, likely 1st-fill
-
Bruichladdich 19yr 2003 53.9% (private cask)
- Single cask (#1337) / ex-bourbon barrel, likely 1st-fill
- Allegedly this private cask belonged to Jim McEwan's daughter
- Bottled for the Port Charlotte Hotel on Islay
-
Lochindaal 13yr 2009 50% by Blind Summit
- Single cask / full maturation in a 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel / distilled in 2009
- From local independent bottler Blind Summit as part of their inaugural outturn
- 1 of 36 bottles
-
Octomore 10yr 162ppm 70% “X4+10 Concept 0.2”
- Quadruple distillation
- Vatting of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-sweet wine casks
- Distilled sometime in 2008-2009, same era as the Octomore 6.x series
- 1 of 3,000 bottles
-
Bruichladdich 16yr 1986 53.5% “Valinch”
- Single cask / ex-oloroso sherry (cask #700)
- Distilled in 1986, bottled sometime in May 2002
- Bottle #814 (of 1200 bottles)
-
Port Charlotte 12yr 2010 53.2% “Valinch”
- Single cask (#4045) / 2nd-fill ex-sauternes
- Distillery exclusive hand-fill (from autumn 2023)
- Distilled on Nov 10th, 2010
- Bottle #284 (of 414 bottles)
Ethos
My tastings are geared toward whisky enthusiasts, but they're also designed to be fun, unintimidating, and inclusive of a diverse group of nice people. I'll make zero profit from this tasting. I just want to bring people together and open some silly whiskies that would otherwise be hoarded or flipped for profit.
Event Schedule
The tasting will start promptly at 2:00pm on Sunday, March 10th. Any presentational aspects of the tasting will wrap up by 4:30pm. The venue will reopen to the public at 5pm, but we can remain in the space for as long as we want to.
The Venue
The Last Word in Stockbridge, Edinburgh is a place that's near and dear to my heart. I've been coming here for years, and I've had loads of fun combing through their substantial backbar. Part of Mothership and established in 2004, The Last Word is an excellent neighbourhood cocktail bar with a low-key atmosphere and superb hospitality. It has an extensive and criminally underrated whisky selection, courtesy of the owners and a series of fabulous venue managers who are serious whisky enthusiasts. It's a great space, and I'm happy they're graciously opening up for us.
For the duration of the tasting, The Last Word will be closed to the public, and we'll have the entire space to ourselves. 🎉
