Yet another Sam’s Spirit Night whisky brother Bluff and I chose to sample was Bruichladdich 20. Bruichladdich 15 got average scores from KOTQ so I wanted to see how the 20 yo stood up, particularly after the disappointing 3D experience. We learned that the 20 yo is a Second Release–they are not perpetually cranking out 20 yos so this is a limited offering. They gave it another stupid nickname “Flirtation”–but let’s look beyond that. The first thing you notice is that the color is atypically (or is that typically) rose color–distinctively red-brown. The whisky is aged in bourbon casks and then “finished” for 5 weeks in Mourvèdre casks. Mourvèdre is a red grape native of Spain and also grown in France and California. It is known for making rich, intense, inky, leathery wines. So clearly this is where Bruichladdich 20 picks up some of its color. The whisky has an earthy nose, floral with a hint of mint. The pallette is soapy and sweet with a little bit of wood–no discernable peat. The finish is clean and easy. Oddly, none of the experience says “Islay”. This is nice mid-afternoon scotch. Good, not too challenging but still flavourful. It retails for $169 at Sam’s. This is the tipping point for me. While I like the drink, $169 buys a lot of HP18 or a really nice bottle of Glenfarclas 35 yo. I’m finding with all the Bruichladdies, the price/value relationship is a little out of whack–they’re overpriced.
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