Bruichladdich Old Skool 10yo

THE HOLY SPIRITS VIEW
A genuine 25th-anniversary milestone from one of Islay's most transparent, terroir-obsessed distilleries — the first of only three limited releases marking Bruichladdich's rebirth in 2001. Built entirely from barley grown by 14 named local farmers, it's a rare chance to taste an island-wide expression of Islay barley in one bottle, rather than the work of any single grower. Won't be repeated once this run sells through.
 
THE DISTILLERY
Bruichladdich was brought out of mothballs in 2001 by a team determined to reimagine Scotch whisky around transparency and terroir. It pioneered the first trial of Islay-grown barley in 2004, rebuilding a farming relationship the island had lost, and has spent the two decades since proving that where the barley grows matters just as much as how the spirit is distilled.
 
THE WHISKY: OLD SKOOL, 10 YEAR OLD
Distilled entirely from Islay barley grown by 14 local farms, Old Skool marks Bruichladdich's 25th anniversary with a whisky built around the distillery's classic, unpeated house style. Matured mainly in first-fill bourbon casks with a small parcel of first-fill Sauternes, it's bottled at 50% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural colour, and presented in a retro label inspired by Bruichladdich's own 1980s bottlings.
 
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Ripe stone fruit — apricot, nectarine and red plum — with creamy vanilla custard, barley sugar and delicate orange blossom, lifted by a gentle coastal salinity and a hint of coconut.
Palate: Full and slightly oily, more stone fruit layered with barley sugar sweetness and soft crème caramel.
Finish: Rounded and warming, the malted barley and stone fruit carrying through to a gently sweet close.
Serve: Neat, in a Glencairn glass — this is a whisky built to showcase pure barley character, so there's little reason to dilute it. A great gateway bottle for anyone new to Islay who assumes the region is all about peat.