Bruichladdich Black Art 1989 03.1 Edition 22 Year

If you have the opportunity to sample this spirit, dedicate ample time to savoring it. It's a whisky that requires focus, and prolonged enjoyment reveals increasing depth. However, it also offers a pleasurable experience for casual sipping without deep analysis. Review begins: The aroma is continuously developing and revealing itself. Initially, it presents notes of cherries, prunes, honey, walnuts, aged wood, preserved dark oranges, dried apricots, raisins, molasses, a subtle salty character like sand and sea air, and a whisper of smoke. With further attention, notes of overripe pears, pepper, possibly vermouth, chocolate, and caramel emerge. The palate delivers all the aromatic elements before unfolding into dark sugars, dark fruits, fortified wines such as port and sherry, traces of red wine, a hint of French oak spice and nuttiness, profound oak notes mingled with spices like ginger and nutmeg. This is an incredibly intricate, captivating, and truly remarkable whisky. Despite its high cost, it's well worth the investment if you can afford it. Absolutely magnificent! Purchased a serving for $50.

Smell - Concentrated dried stone fruits, a whisper of saltiness, a touch of barrel-aged pear cider, muscat grapes, and charred wood. Palate - Sweet dried plums/cherries, notes of dark oiled leather, sweet spicy pipe tobacco, sea salt, a bite of white pepper, a kick of black pepper, rich dark fruitcake, and a sweetness reminiscent of muscato or riesling. Aftertaste - A persistent sweet, spicy dark stone fruit sweetness, the white pepper heat remains alongside the black pepper spice, notes of barrel-aged dark apple/pear cider, and toasted apple skin. Score - 91/100 Overall Impression - This is a very enjoyable drink. The aroma is intricate, with nothing unpleasant; it presents as very "dark" and "robust" in both smell and taste. It achieves a lovely harmony between the sweetness of dark stone fruits and a sweetness I perceive as similar to moscato or late harvest riesling. The balance is excellent, complemented by a superb finish and mouthfeel. I suspect the blend includes some toasted French oak barrels, port casks, and possibly some moscato or sweeter wine barrels. In contrast to the BA4.1, this offering leans towards a darker sweetness; the other one has more fresh berry sweetness. I'm genuinely pleased to have experienced this one, as it's a delightful dram from start to finish.

This is the finest Black Art I've sampled, and quite possibly the greatest whisky I've ever had. It has an incredible depth of flavor and complexity. Nose: Dried grapes, sweet nectar, raspberries, sweet confection, roasted beans, cocoa, wood smoke, burnt sugar, vanilla bean, tart cherries, tropical fruit, pine fruit, spice, dark plums, floral notes, orchard fruit, citrus, a green apple candy, tree nuts, tropical fruit, oranges, tropical fruit, almond paste, tropical fruit. Palate: Dried grapes, tart cherries, chewy candy, rich cocoa, spice, sweet nectar, floral notes, dark cherries, dried plums, savory flesh, walnuts, almonds, cashews, spice, roasted grain, coffee and chocolate, citrus, smoke, dark berries, dried dark grapes. Finish: Dried grapes, spice, cocoa, cherries, chewy candy, spice, dried stone fruit, earthy fungus, dried grapes, scorched pineapple, tropical fruit, citrus, nutty baked goods, vanilla bean, raspberries, raspberries. My estimation is that this spirit was aged in a mix of casks including those that previously held bourbon, sherry, port, sweet white wine, red wine, white wine, and smoky whisky.

Nose: Immediate impression of cake batter and egg tart, with milk chocolate at the start. Shifts to jammy Zinfandel. Notes of dried cranberry, raisins, and figs emerge. A subtle hint of fine oak sawdust or varnish. It's complex, offering a new scent with each swirl. Quite similar to a 24-year-old Armagnac tasted recently. Palate: Syrupy, full-bodied, round, and oily, coating the tongue. Mouthfeel is paramount to me, and this delivers exceptionally. The dried fruit notes from the nose are replaced by fresh fruit, though this quickly fades, giving way to vanilla and milk pudding. Finish: Dries down to a Vanilla Coke flavor. It's not as lingering as I'd anticipated. Overall: Very dessert-like. The nose was astounding, incredibly complex and delightful. No unpleasant notes whatsoever. I found myself reluctant to finish it, wanting to continue inhaling the aroma from the glass. I must try my BA6 again for comparison; I don't think its nose can match this.

Remarkably complex with scents of fruity Sherry and some sweetness, perhaps ice wine, along with a briny quality. The finish is incredible, featuring an intensified version of the characteristic muskiness found in Bruichladdich. Rated 96.

Aromas of lovely dark fruits. The palate is spicy, complex, and richly deep. A pleasant, lengthy finish that isn't hot. Gorgeous. It would only improve if it were barrel proof.