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Bruichladdich 6 years Islay Barley

fruity malty
4.2
(7)€53Scotland, Islay, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

Fresh
Warm
Mild
Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Barley for this whisky grows on Islay itself, on farms named on the label. The third release used grain from the Minister's Field at Rockside Farm. Mark and Rohaise French grew it, harvested in 2006 and distilled the year after. Later releases pull barley from Coull, Mulindry, Starchmill and Cruach. Time in oak is short here, so the spirit stays bright rather than heavy. Expect barley sugar, apple and a buttery caramel weight. Salt and pepper arrive late, the way they do near the Atlantic. Pour it neat. It tastes like the field it came from.

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About the distillery

Distillery

Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich distillery is located on the Isle of Islay, Scotland, and was founded in 1881. It was closed in 1994, but then re-opened in 2001 under new ownership. The distillery produces a range of single malt whiskies, including heavily peated, unpeated, and triple-distilled varieties. Bruichladdich uses only Scottish barley and sources its water from nearby Loch Indaal. The distillery also produces a gin called The Botanist, which is made with 22 different botanicals, many of which are sourced locally on Islay.

4.1Average rating

96Whiskies on Distilld

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About the Bruichladdich 6 years Islay Barley

Bruichladdich 6 years Islay Barley is a single malt Scotch whisky from Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. It spends six years in oak casks and is bottled at 50%. The name is literal. Every grain behind this whisky was grown on the island itself. Most Scotch uses barley sourced from anywhere at all. This bottling narrows the field to a handful of Islay farms. The farms are named on every label. Release three took its grain from the Minister's Field at Rockside Farm, where Mark and Rohaise French grew it. That barley was harvested in 2006 and distilled the following year. A 2011 vintage drew on six farms at once: Coull, Rockside, Island, Mulindry, Starchmill and Cruach. Slow distillation coaxes the oils out of the grain. The idea is that soil and field leave a trace in the spirit. Fresh fruit leads the nose: apple, apricot and a squeeze of lemon. Under that sits a faint brine, the iodine hint you get near a working harbour. The palate turns sweeter. Barley sugar, honey and toffee come first, then a buttery weight and a dusting of chocolate. Ginger and pepper build towards the back. The finish stays dry and floral, with herbal edges and a last flick of apple. Bruichladdich 6 years Islay Barley is young by single malt standards, and that is the point. Six years in oak leaves the grain audible instead of burying it under wood. Older Islay bottlings trade grain character for cask depth. This one goes the other way. Each release also shifts with the harvest and the farms behind it, so no two are quite alike. That variation is the whole argument for terroir.