Islands – 56.3%ABV – 700ml bottle – Price ?? I could not find this bottle available at any of the shops I frequent – Thanks to “O.K.” for the sample! (Note: the picture shown is for the 1985 version, not the 1981 as I had tasted)
This will be sort of a shorter review today. Or at least, the lead up to the actual tasting. Truth be told, this one took a lot out of me. The whisky (specifically, the nose) was quite demanding and I’m not sure I was up to the challenge. Yes, I think I gave it a fair shake (or maybe I gave myself the shake) but it took a while for all to be revealed.
They say good things come to those who wait. Maybe I was too impatient. You can decide for yourself…
On the nose — Man, this whisky needs some time to open up. A few minutes and some nice cherry notes are revealed along with an overall saltiness to it – quite oceanic but at high tide, not a fishy low tide type ocean scent to it.
The nose is brisk and has just a mere hint of smoke (think pipe tobbaco – fragrant). A few extra minutes and the nose opens more giving me some nice orange notes (Mineola to be exact, very tart). With a few drops of water some buttery notes come out and it get ever so floral. I love this nose but I had to dig and wait quite a bit for the scents to show themselves.
On the mouth — Hold on here, this is quite a departure from the nose. The flavors are not subtle here, you don’t have to work quite as hard – fresh grassy notes and bitter fruits, a good amount of pepper (think cayenne with out the burn).
I think I need to add some water here (it did wonders for the nose) — the mouth feel gets chewy and some white pepper comes out as does something quite sweet thought I can’t put my finger on it.
Finish — A long finish. The orangey notes remain as does the pepper.
In sum — Part of me felt like a paranormal investigator here. I knew I had a “spirit” nearby but the nose made me want to scream “Show Yourself!!” Thank G-d for the palate and finish though, it really came through. In the end, a nice single cask whisky but I’m not sure it was worth all the trouble.
Ok, before you begin to read my post on this dram, you may want to hit play on the youtube video below (so as to set the mood):
Is it playing? Good. Just keep it sort of quiet and in the background. Umm, a little lower in the volume… there. Good.
When I was young, about six years in age, my uncle started feeding me music from all sorts of great bands. Bands he loved and wanted me to love in kind. Two of the bands stuck out and I still love them to this day. The Ramones and Black Sabbath. In fact, the first album I ever owned was Black Sabbath’s Paranoid album.
Let’s put the Ramones to the side for now and focus on Black Sabbath. Here I was six years old, listening to Black Sabbath and… was I scared? A bit (I mean, listen to this song for “Peat’s” sake – you do have the video playing, right?). But mostly, I was entranced. Even at six, I knew that these guys were on some level beyond any other band I’d ever heard.
As I got older, I became more obsessed with the music of Black Sabbath and (here comes a crazy geek moment) Dungeons and Dragons. There, I said it. I was into D&D big time. D&D, Lord of the Rings, you name it, I was into it.
You must be thinking “Hey Hatton, where are you going with this?” or, “Dude, D&D… seriously!?”
The point I am coming to is that I saw something mystical and magical in this music and those role playing games and sipping on this whisky took me back there.
Yes, nearly 31 years later and I came across this interesting and new Bruichladdich expression called Black Arts and I’m taken back to those things that got me interested in the “strange”. But, come to think of it, it was not just strange. It was new, different, unique and artistic – something I think this expression is.
What is Bruichladdich’s Black Arts expression? First, let’s take a look at their bottle:
You’ll notice a matte black finish on the bottle and cylinder. This, as I understand it, is a follow up to Bruichladdich’s “Blacker Still” expression. Just looking at it and I get a creepy-cool feeling. It’s the type of feeling you get when you’re around a campfire telling ghost stories – the good creepy. You want more.
And yes, I wanted more. I wanted to open the bottle right away but, before I did, I took a closer look at the bottle and saw a Star of David on there. Wait a sec. Hold you’re horses. What does this mean? I don’t know any Jew that works in the Black Arts – What’s going on here!?!?
I did some reading up on what this star meant and found that Bruichladdich says the star is actually “two triangles that represent the reconciliation of the opposites of fire and water”. In fact, here’s the full quote from Bruichladdich’s product sheet: “Alchemy, the black art, the eternal search for rejuvenation and immortality, gave us whisky. Gebber the Arab is said to be the first distiller of al-iksir, the water of life, in Persia around 790 AD.” (or, CE and I prefer to say. C.E. being the Common Era) “The spirits Eau de vie, Aqua Vitae, Vodka, Aquavit, Uisque Beatha all share that same original meaning. Geber understood that precious metals were hidden in alloys and ores. By the rearrangement of base metal’s qualities, via elixir, it could be transmutated into Gold. Elixir also existed as a dry, red powder made from Philosophers’ stone. If it could turn poor metal into gold – it could give eternal life. The two triangles that represent the reconciliation of the opposites of fire and water.”
Cool stuff, right?
Speaking of “red powder”, after I poured a dram, I wondered if Bruichladdich found this Philosophers’ stone and put a wee bit into each cask. The reason I wondered this….well, take a look at the color of this whisky (on your left – click on it for a larger image).
While it may be tough to see here in this picture. I will tell you that, in person, this fluid is red. Red whisky. I’ve never seen anything like this before and, just like when I first heard Black Sabbath, I was entranced. Just a note here: this is the natural color of the whisky; no color added.
How did they get this whisky red? Is it the red powder from the Philosophers’ stone? If you think the answer is “yes” then I suggest you check yourself into an insane asylum. While you may think the good folks at Bruichladdich are alchemists with all of those great expressions they come out with, this is the real world and they’re using real science here, not alchemy.
So, how did they get it red? A little birdy told me that this whisky was finished in three red wine casks, one right after the other. Awesome.
OK, I think it’s about high time I get to the tasting:
On the nose — 51.1% alcohol be damned! I can sniff this all night with no issues. Big red fruits! Raspberry, strawberry, cranberry and some fruit of the more tropical variety — passion fruit & papaya (all of these berries makes me think of my daughter’s book called “Jamberry”). Wow. Some nail polish remover notes here, something a bit sour and some over steeped green tea… I’m in love with this nose! This is just the right influence of wine on the whisky. Some spiciness on the nose and a bit of honey (which I did not expect here). With a few drops of water the fruits get very juicy smelling – almost over ripe.
On the mouth — Great entry here and I’m a bit taken aback. What a balance! The fruits are big but dry – like a good & fruity cabernet. Grassy, fresh hay. Quite grapey, quite winey. The mouth feel is nice nothing too special about it though. Let’s add a few drops of water. With water the mouth feel evolves into something completely different and beautiful. I feel like an alchemist turning dried fruits into re-ripened fruits. There’s something deep in the background that resembles the faintest whiff of smoke but, I dont think this was at all peated.
Finish — Longer and slightly burning. Wow, increasingly burning and getting stronger by the second. Cool stuff.
In sum — This is a true artisan’s whisky. And while some folks thought this dram crossed the line a bit between wine finishes and whisky; to me, the extra finishing was something of pure genius. What a great marriage between wine and whisky. While the two whiskies are nothing alike, the mystery surrounding the Bruichladdich Black Arts reminds me of the mysteries around the Glenmorangie Signet. Two very different whiskies; two very great whiskies. My hat’s off to the folks at Bruichladdich. They’ve created a magical dram here.
Did you know that all of us Jews know one another? Oh sure, it’s mostly true! And if we don’t know them, we came pick them out of a crowd – I call it “Jewdar”. “Jewdar” is a radar for Jews just as Gaydar is a radar for Gay folk.
Ok, I’m really just kidding. It is true, however, that Gal Granov from Whisky Israel and I do know each other. He and I are good whisky buddies (even though we’re thousands of miles away from one another). Gal and I started doing some whisk(e)y sample trading and on our last trade we thought it’d be a good idea if we each sent over a “Mystery Dram”.
A dram that A) didn’t cost a whole lot of money and B) is something that neither of us have had before. The idea is to try and figure out, at the very least, who distilled the mystery dram in question. No hints, no nothing. We had to uncover the mystery using only two tools – our nose and tongue.
As you can see below, we tried to make this as mysterious as possible (you’ll note that the Glencairn shown below has a Glenmorangie logo on it. This is not giving away and hints. It’s not a Glenmo. I just love Glenmorangie whiskies so much, I had to have my very own Glenmorangie Glencairn glass. Seriously.):
So again, no hints, no nothing. Let’s see how I did:
On the nose — A very floral nose, house-planty if you will… Soapy scents and some orange, perhaps a little strawberry too. There’s a nice little peat backbone here but it’s not overwhelming by any means… Some curried tomatoes (man… now I want some Indian food!).
Well, I already have an inkling as to what it is but I may want a to chose a Life Line before I blurt out my answer, I better taste it…
On the mouth — The peat is much larger here and it’s a bit dirty. The mouth feel is quite nice. Oily, just as I like it. Sweet. Simple syrup, salty, green tea… I’m not sure of the ABV but, the attack is not huge here so I’m guessing 43%.
Finish — Sort of a short and thin finish with some orange soapiness coming back.
In sum — Well, my guess on this (which is mostly based on the nose with some of the palate elements to help me fill in the some of the clues) is that this is a Bowmore. It’s not the 12. This I know. But it’s got to be a Bowmore.
I liked it but didn’t love it. This, to me, is the type of whisky that I’d keep on my shelf (and yes, I’d like to have a bottle of this on my shelf – at all times really) for those moments when you just didn’t know what to pour. “It’s just a Thursday night so, I’m not going to pour my Glenmorangie Quarter Century” or, “It’s way too hot out, there’s no way I’m breaking out my Lagavulin 16yr DE”, etc… This is that whisky that can always fill the void. You don’t need to decide to grab it. You just grab, open, pour, sniff, sip, swallow, repeat.
I did contact Gal to see if I was right about it being a Bowmore. Lo and behold, I was right (Woo Hoo!!). So, which one is it?
Another great Bruichladdich came my way. This time in the form of a sample from my friend “O.K.” Bruichladdich is one of these lesser known whiskies here in the states – especially when going to a bar (unless it’s a really good one like The Daily Pint that I just went to with a new friend – a post on that later with details of a new reader challenge issued to yours truly!).
A run of the mill bar in the US just does not carry a good selection of Scotch whiskies (or American whiskeys for that matter). Most bars have the token Jameson, Dewar’s, Johnnie Walker Red & Black label, Chivas Regal 12yr and maybe a 12yr Glenlivet or Glenfiddich. I’m not knocking these whiskies – they’re all nice and very drinkable. But, nothing super special.
I would love to start seeing some (at the very least) entry level Highland Park, Bruichladdich, Ardbeg, Glenmorangie, Balblair, Cragganmore… the list can go on and on. I’ve been trying to edu-m’cate my local watering holes but, I can’t do it everywhere I go. Your average red-blooded American does not have access to the finer Scotch whiskies and it’s a damn shame.
Let me get on to my review of the whisky at hand: Bruichladdich 3D3!
On the nose — Sweet peat, honey, green apples, something a bit bitter (can’t quite place it), baby vomit, latex gloves, cheddar cheese (or more like salty cheese crackers, think Gold Fish) – came back for another nosing and found some nice flowery notes popped up and slight grassiness – perhaps lemongrass – Loving this nose – very complex!
On the mouth — Nice peat attach right up front – quite good, I like this at 46%, briny and a little like cocktail sauce (or the lemons from it),
Nice chewy mouth feel, celery salt. This is really done well – Kudos ‘laddies!
Finish — Long, peaty, smoke, honey and rubber. The peat has violated every part of my mouth (wow, that sounds a little…dirty) – a Bruichladdich done quite right!
In sum — There are so many great Bruichladdich expressions and while all of them (at least the ones I tried) are quite different from one another, you know you’re going to go on a great ride with these malts. This being said, you can, for the most part, always count on a delicious fruitiness to be your driver through the Bruichladdich journey. While I normally go for the peatier stuff during the cold seasons, I would have no problem reaching for this at any time of year.
For those confused by the “Baby vomit” descriptor, check out Guid Scotch Drink’s “Say What!?” post to better understand what I’m really smelling when I say “Baby Vomit”
My day… actually, the past few days for me have be rough. For this reason to that one, just a lot going on and not enough room in my head to think about it all. This is not a diary blog for me. This is a whisk(e)y blog so I’m not going to pour my heart out because, you probably don’t give a rat’s ass. What you do care about is whisk(e)y and I can dig that. Shall I move on then? Yes.
Sitting at home, I have an arsenal of 16 whisky samples – it’s like heaven to me. Check it:
With so much to choose from, I just did not know where to start. I think I stood in front of my sample stash for about 25 minutes before I made my decision. My decision to choose the Master of Malt 26yr Bowmore was partially based on the fact that the only Bowmore I’ve ever had was their 12yr expression and I just did not like it (that review to come – sorry Bowmore folks). I wanted to try something else by Bowmore and I **LOVE** the Master of Malt 19yr Tomatin (that review can be found here). The other reason is that I’ve got a serious case of spring fever (like you would not believe) and the reviews I’ve read on this expression reminded me of spring or the flavors I’d like to taste in a spring-time malt.
On the nose – You’d never know this was 53.4% Alcohol By Volume. It’s very easy to nose, and what a strange nose it is! Soapy and quite flowery, perfect for this time of year. Very much like Spider Mums (near exact). Powdered sugar cookies and nail polish. Really tough getting past that flowery smell though, quite lovely. Reading the review of this whisky in Guid Scotch Drink, Jason described a Parma Violets candy smell. Being that the Parma Violets are a candy found in the UK, not the US, I have no idea what they are but, Jason does, click here to find out what they are. Hint of smoke floating way in the back.
On the mouth – Pure sugary candies!! Holy $hit! No need to add water at all – it’s at the perfect strength. Pez, Cherry Pez, more soap (kids no-tear fruity soap). Fun Dip and Pixie Stix. Is this whisky? Yes? Really?? If R.J. Reynolds came out with this product, they’d be in court in no time flat as people would say it’s too candy-like, “you MUST be marketing to kids”. Thin mouth feel but coating somehow – like the fluid itself is sugar based. Powdered sugar.
Finish — Long and fruity, like Beech-Nut gum (fruity like the gum, not the length of flavor as Beech-Nut gums lose their flavor right quick!)
In sum — I read review after review about how fruity this stuff was and I just did not expect it to really be as fruity as it was, and, so amazingly like kids candies it really was. This is not an every day dram for sure. For me, I can have this once per year or so… It’s unique, it’s super cool and complex. The balance is great and I love the flowery nose. I just couldn’t see myself reaching for this all the time.
(Note: the picture shown is for the 1985 version, not the 1981 as I had tasted)
On the nose — Man, this whisky needs some time to open up. A few minutes and some nice cherry notes are revealed along with an overall saltiness to it – quite oceanic but at high tide, not a fishy low tide type ocean scent to it.
On the mouth — Hold on here, this is quite a departure from the nose. The flavors are not subtle here, you don’t have to work quite as hard – fresh grassy notes and bitter fruits, a good amount of pepper (think cayenne with out the burn).
Fun Dip and Pixie Stix. Is this whisky? Yes? Really?? If R.J. Reynolds came out with this product, they’d be in court in no time flat as people would say it’s too candy-like, “you MUST be marketing to kids”. Thin mouth feel but coating somehow – like the fluid itself is sugar based. Powdered sugar.
