Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2008 Islay Grown: Dunlossit Estate

I bought a bottle of this during an international order last spring and opened it because I have too many peated whiskies currently open, and I need something to provide balance. This Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2008 is another release that celebrates the use of six-row barley grown locally on Northern Islay's Dunlossit Farm. These producers emphasize "terroir," and this bottling fits that concept. Bere Barley is a 9-year-old whisky aged in former white oak casks and bottled at 50% ABV. It has a pale yellow color, an oily texture, and leaves very thin legs in the glass. It is non-chill filtered and contains no added color. The aroma was quite muted at first. I genuinely detected nothing for the initial 5-10 minutes. Vanilla and sweet corn eventually emerged, though still very subtly. The oak casks contribute the most prominent scent, even with a bit of water added, which I did in later tastings. The flavor primarily delivered the sweet, candied corn as its singular prominent taste. There was some alcohol and ABV presence, but the sweetness dominated, even with water. It was somewhat hot, sharp, and direct. The finish was medium to long, again emphasizing the corn. The mouthfeel remained dry throughout. A small amount of water did reduce some of the harshness, but it also further diluted the dram. In summary, this was an uninspiring dram. If you enjoy American bourbon or are a keen corn whiskey drinker, this might appeal to you. The question remains: why would someone purchase an $88 single malt to experience something akin to Scottish moonshine? The straightforward answer is they wouldn't. This malt is exclusively for devoted Bruichladdich enthusiasts. I appreciate their standard offerings, but this is one I regret adding to my online order. It scores 2.75-3 stars and isn't worth the cost. Look elsewhere.

This is a weird one for me. I have a 200ml taster bottle from a sample pack that came with an Islay Barley and an Organic. As soon as I poured this one, the initial smell I was picking up in the nose was a big, dusty bag of grains. It honestly smelled like if you’ve ever opened up a burlap sack of barley or lentils. It took me right back to the farm. Dusty and earthy. Initially, on the palate that earthiness came through strong. It reminded me, dare I say, of dry manure in a field; but not in a gross way...but also not in an enjoyable way. More of a, “Huh...never tasted that before.” I scoured the internet for a review that had the same tasting notes, but couldn’t find one, so it may be just me. After 10 minutes in the glass, those dusty, farmyard notes fade dramatically to the background and a sweeter dram emerges. Barley sugar and orange in the nose. Little bit of dust remains. On the palate, sweet citrus, some cereals, and custard. Like others have mentioned; it’s a bit rough around the edges. It does do a pretty good job of changing with time in the glass, but, I’d take the Classic Laddie over this. I’m a big fanboy of the distillery, but I’m glad that I have a 200ml sample bottle of this and didn’t sink $100 CAD into a full bottle. I’m glad I tried it; to me, it was engaging because of those weird farmyard notes, but it’s not a limited release from this distillery that I will miss when it’s gone like the Laddie 10 or the Organic 2003. I’d still say to grab a dram if you can. 3.5 stars - 84/100 Edit: after a few weeks in the bottle it really came into its own. Nice complexity now. Rough edges gone. Changes character so much with time in the glass. 4 stars 88/100

Besides Octomore, I haven't tried a Bruichladdich. It's odd that after nearly 300 whiskies, none have been from the standard range of this Islay distillery. Tonight, I rectified that thanks to a generous friend. Bere Barley focuses on locally grown Islay barley. It's bottled at 50% ABV, is non chill filtered, and has a pale straw natural color. The aroma is very malty and cereal-forward. Lemon citrus, which I noticed in many single malts a few months back and then it vanished, has reappeared. Vanilla cream, ginger, and nutmeg. Light oak, a faint coffee note, and light toffee. Not much complexity here. After adding a good amount of water...nothing. Little change, perhaps a bit creamier and maybe some lime leaves. The palate is rather harsh with rapidly building heat. Malty, oak, lemon, and a light apple note. Harsh overall. With water, much of the heat persists, and nothing new emerges. A medium-bodied mouthfeel that is lightly oily and coats the mouth with heat. The finish is medium length with heat, cereal malt, and light oak. Well, this was a rather dull dram. Nothing much happening, but perhaps that was intentional. I suspect refill and third-fill casks were used to impart minimal influence on the new make spirit, showcasing the special barley varietal. Unfortunately, this resulted in a quite forgettable dram. At close to $90, it's also quite expensive for what you get. So, I'd advise against it if tempted to try something new. 2.75 Cheers

You ever feel that sometimes you concentrate on the wrong things, and end up missing the bigger picture? There’s this video on YouTube, search under “miss the gorilla while ball is passed”. You’re gazing at this ball being passed around so much that you end up missing a huge gorilla pounding his chest right in the middle of the action. You know...sort of like concentrating on the Great Southern Wall while China whoops our ass in the next gen technology. Defunding education and giving teachers low wages while India and Singapore produce the next generation of the brightest minds. Trying to dig for coal while Russia ups the game in cyber threat security. Yeah...that type of loss of focus. This little beauty here, courtesy of a friend, had you looking at the fact that the barley is a six row instead of two ( or vice versa..whatever ), and that it’s locally grown in an Islay farm. Conjures up romantic images of the locally produced good being better than a mass produced ( which in many cases...yes). But I sort of felt the romanticism was lost by the fact that this was middle of road, a bit young, and just a tad harsh. Nothing a few more years in the barrel couldn’t have solved. Light lemon drops, some cereals, and oranges on the palette. Not bad, but nothing to make it stand out considering the micro-provenance of the ingredients. The moral of the story? Focus. And keep the long view.

I was extremely fortunate to find this at a store near Detroit. I spent about $95 and have seen it priced much higher. Aroma - honey and green apple, sharp somewhat bitter lemon peel, floral like a fine perfume, cereal grains, some pear Palate - medium body, strong pear and honey on the initial taste, apple and granola, floral notes again and honeysuckle, also some lemon zest Finish - long lasting floral and green fruit, medium but pleasant warmth

Newly opened No water Nose - pears, molasses, grain, applesauce Taste - grain, sweetness, slight burn Overall - it successfully showcases the barley used, has straightforward flavor, and is not as viscous as other Bruichladdich scotches.