Another dram Brother Bluff and I had the opportunity to sample at Sam’s Spirit Night was the new Bruichladdich 3D “The Peat Proposal”. As you all know, Bruichladdich, like it’s mid-Islay neighbor Bowmore, is regarded as having a medium peat profile. Well, as we learned from the heavy-accented distiller, Bruichladdich hasn’t always been that way. For eighty years, up until the early 60’s Bruichladdich was heavy peat. Then following a trend it toned down it’s peat from 40 PPM phenols to 5-10 PPM phenols that it has today. (The amount of peating is measured by the concentration of acidic organic compounds called phenols that are found in the peat smoke. The higher the phenols the peatier). Lagavulin has 40 PPM, Laphroaig 35 PPM for comparison. The new entry is made from the 3 separate maturing stocks, each distilled from a different degree of peated barley: 5 PPM, 25 PPM and 40 PPM. Ages 2001, 1998 and 1989 respectively and in three contrasting types of oak casks (refill sherry, refill bourbon, fresh bourbon). Each comes from a different era of distillery ownership and matured in 3 very different warehouses.

So, enough of the background. This 4 yo whisky is (not surprisingly) over-the-top peat. It’s in your face peat that is strong and unrestrained. It has notes of coffee and caramel. The Peat Proposal name is a little too gimmicky for my liking and the “3D” double-entendre is short on follow through. It’s 1D: peat. And it doesn’t come close to the southern Islay malts in terms of flavour. Buy a dram if you can but not a bottle.
3d