Artful Dodge, Bruichladdich 9 Years Old, Aged in Rivesaltes Casks

Nose: Surprisingly not peaty. Mostly sherry notes hit me. I detect oloroso tartness and nuttiness, along with something sweeter that faintly suggests red fruit, possibly from the malt and wood. I appreciate this nose, though I anticipated it would be more robust and prominent. There's also a hint of musty cardboard. Palate: Very powerful, as expected with this unusually high proof for a scotch. I get some rich, oily nuttiness, a sweet yet piercingly tart red fruit, and a significant amount of leather. Malty richness and sweetness emerge, blending well with the oloroso-like nuttiness (though I recognize there's no actual oloroso here). There's notable sweet and rich cinnamon spice, a strong peppery kick, and a touch of numbing clove. I do detect some musty cardboard, and while I like the added complexity, the funk is a bit overwhelming. This immediately brings to mind Springbank 12 Cask Strength due to its potency, leather, fruit, and funkiness, though I favor the Springbank 12. I find the tartness here to be somewhat excessive, and the flavors seem to clash rather than harmonize. It's still quite enjoyable, but it strikes me as a rather young whisky, heavily finished in first-fill casks for refinement. Side-by-side, the Springbank is clearly superior. Another dram that comes to mind is my 27-year-old bottle of Cambus. That was aged in tired sherry casks and lacks the complexity of this one, but it shares that tart, nutty, fruity oloroso character. I'd say this easily surpasses the Cambus. It takes a strong spirit to reveal complexity against this one; thus, I must credit it for its complexity, at least in terms of having prominent, forceful flavors. Other spirits, like Springbank 12, offer more complexity, though many (unlike Springbank 12) possess a subtler character that can easily be overlooked. However, the balance here could benefit from improvement. With water, it retains most of its richness, but reducing the alcohol presence softens the spicy bite and tartness. I believe a few drops of water make a significant difference. Finish: It's a rich finish with abundant musty cardboard and leather. Some spice and a bit of fruit linger, but the sweetness and tartness fade. A hint of nuttiness helps to round it out. This is actually more balanced, though less complex. I prefer the palate slightly, but this is definitely better than the nose. Conclusion: I quite like this. It seems to require further aging, though it is quite young. In contrast, at only 12 years, the Springbank 12 doesn't seem to need any more maturation. Springbank 12 is a poor comparison because, if I were unaware, I might guess the ages were swapped and it was actually a 21-year-old whisky. I would likely estimate this one to be around 12 years old. So, I've stated this is superior to Cambus 27 (1991) but inferior to Springbank 12 Cask Strength, placing it between 14 and 21. Excellent. Given the significant difference noted at both extremes, I don't think anything outside the 16 to 19 range would be appropriate. Upon further reflection and direct comparison, I believe 16 is too low and 18 seems most fitting. Hey, 9 times 2; remarkable! Thank you to a friend for the sample.

Seeing many reviews of Bruichladdich lately, so I'll add my thoughts. I'm trying this sample I got a while back from a friend. I don't know anything about Rivesaltes yet, but I do appreciate how Bruichladdich makes their spirits. A distinct reddish-brown color, similar to the 'Burnt Sienna' crayon from the Crayola 64 box with the sharpener. That crayon's name and hue have always stuck with me. Initially, the aroma is all grape jam. As it settles, notes of apple, blueberry, and cherry pie emerge. There are also hints of crushed almonds, wood, ethanol, and an earthiness like rich soil or fresh sod. This spirit hits with heat and spice due to its strength. Adding water will be necessary. However, even without water, there's a subtle, sugary grape jam sweetness. Adding a good amount of water slightly mutes the aroma but enhances the grape jam. The palate becomes more approachable. The grape jam flavor shifts towards strawberries and sweetness. White pepper is more noticeable than the initial hot and spicy punch. The finish has a lasting woodiness and a drying sensation. Cherries and almonds are also present. Ultimately, the palate is left with an aged leather impression. When you really focus, you can clearly detect the Bruichladdich character. As a band says, "It's Good," which is typical for Bruichladdich. A woody, fruity, and earthy pour with pleasant flavors and some uniqueness. It feels like there's more potential waiting to be unlocked but has been held back. Perhaps more time in the cask would extract additional depth. Nevertheless, it's a nice pour. [88/100][Tasted: 8/12/22]

The aroma starts with cherry brandy, dark chocolate, and polished leather, then moves to candied pecans, hay, and a seaside rocky minerality. This is followed by raspberries, blackberries, and orange gelato, transitioning to subtle baking spices and freshly lacquered oak furniture, with a strong ethanol burn. The taste has a rich and creamy mouthfeel, beginning with moderate spice that slowly fades into cherries jubilee, dark chocolate mocha, and polished leather. Then come candied pecans, hay, and seaside rocky minerality, followed by raspberries, blackberries, and charred oranges, leading to subtle baking spices and freshly lacquered oak furniture, with a strong ethanol burn. The finish is long, featuring candied orange peel, raspberry pie, blackberries, seaside rocky minerality, leather, and Black Forest cake. Considering its 9-year age, this has developed exceptionally well. The flavors are bold and rich, offering a blend of berries, hay, seaside minerality, and well-aged oak, though it suffers from a slight youthful astringency that could have been improved with more aging. After sampling several of the distillery's experimental releases, I've found they don't always suit my palate, but this one turned out fantastic. I hope they continue to produce Rivesaltes cask-matured whiskies, perhaps even a peated version. Many thanks to a friend for the generous sample.

This is a distinctive bottling. It's on the younger side for a Scotch, but fully matured in Rivesaltes wine. Rivesaltes is a sweeter red wine, not the full-bodied reds we often associate with red wine maturation. This one is bottled at a substantial 64% ABV. The first thing I noticed was the color: a reddish mahogany, like polished fine wood. I added a spoonful of water and let it sit to open up. I detected oak, pecans, and cherry jam. Without water, the oak seemed less prominent. The taste is jammy, like German chocolate cake with raspberries. If you appreciate exploring different wood influences or enjoy jam-like flavors, this would be ideal for you.