Bruichladdich Black Art 1992 05.1 Edition 24 Year

This Black Art 5.1 sample was sent to me a couple years ago by a friend and whisky guru. I had actually sampled the 4.1 version a bit earlier at Norfolk Wine & Spirits. My first blush reaction at that time was a whisky easily in the 4-star category, but Octomore wowed me more that day and was my eventual purchase. This expensive 24yo expression is made with lightly peated barley and much different than the heavily peated malt used for its Port Charlotte and Octomore brethren. My fascination with Bruichladdich is their ability to create this diverse range of whiskies using the same stills, two of which (wash) date back to 1881 when the distillery first opened. Their Octomore 8.3 release boasts the highest ppm count (smokiness) of any single malt on the market at 309 ppm, yet most agree it seems less smoky than their Port Charlotte expressions that average just 40-50 ppm. How can this be? Well, a book gives us some insight into this mystery. We know that phenols are measured and advertised prior to distillation, but it was also learned their counts after distillation. These are quoted at 20-25 ppm (estimated) for Port Charlotte and 46.4 ppm for Octomore during the 2003 season. Obviously, this is a closer comparison, but how does distillation alone take Octomore’s triple digit number down by this goodly amount. Let’s have a look. The distillery uses very tall plain-pot stills (6 meters) with long thin necks. This promotes refluxing or the capturing and returning of alcoholic toxins/volatiles back into the wash or spirit. A still’s lyne arm design can also be a factor. A rising arm also promotes refluxing. Bruichladdich’s stills utilizes a lyne arm that descends gently. Also, the size of the charge into the still is important. A smaller charge or fill amount means more copper contact for toxin elimination if the desire is to create a lighter, more elegant spirit. Coal Ila, for example, uses the smallest charge on Islay at 37 to 41% of fill capacity. Foreshots (heads) and aftershots (feints) contain the most undesirable components (congeners), where the middle cut contains the most desirable or good congeners. The amount of time spent at these cut points varies widely and can dictate a lighter, elegant versus a rich, oily, and more pungent style of spirit. In addition to all of this, Bruichladdich’s condensers are supposedly the biggest on Islay (2 tons each) and this could be their magic bullet. They each contain 210 one inch tubes, which means lots of copper contact. Also, the recovery temperature inside the condenser can be regulated. A higher temperature means slower condensation time and more copper contact for volatile extraction. Bruichladdich’s distillation configuration gives them a lot of flexibility as evidenced by the variety of distinct whisky styles they produce. This 24yo Black Art 5.1 comes rolling in at 48.4% ABV. Little is known about the cask types, but most guess at a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-wine. This seems confirmed by a fruity and robust nose, accompanied by vanilla toffee, toasted almonds and malt. The palate is sweet, rich and peppery. It then turns vermouth-like, drying into a resinous oak, malt and spicy finish. A very complex and delightful dram, indeed. A solid 4.25 stars. Thanks Lee!

This review is from one of the bottles opened for our room's pre-Whiskyfest DC happy hour back in April. The Bruichladdich Black Arts 5.1 (a 24-year-old from 1992) is an annual blended release from 'Laddie designed to highlight their wine cask finishing and blending expertise. These bottles are typically costly; I purchased mine for $307 from an online UK vendor, while US prices average over $400. This batch exhibits a deep, dark copper and amber hue, forming very small beads in the glass and appearing quite oily with slow-moving legs. It's bottled at 48.4% ABV. The initial aroma is dominated by muddled wine grapes, sugary syrup, and charred oak, with an underlying hint of Coca-Cola-like sweetness. The oak contributes a charred, burned astringency but still allows the fruitiness to come through. It smelled fantastic when first opened. Oxidation and time did not treat this bottle kindly, more on that later. The palate prominently features the wine cask notes: grapes, red berries, and sweet corn consistently swirl on the tongue, contending with the barrel flavors. Hints of cinnamon and pepper follow the other notes as the whisky moves across the palate. It wasn't unpleasant, but it lacked the expected harmony. The finish is warm and prolonged, with berry notes persisting until washed away by another sip or a bit of water. The barrel notes were noticeably absent. It's a sweet, dessert-like dram that was well-received during the hotel tasting because it offered a palate cleanser between heavily peated, bourbony, and wine-infused drams. At the hotel, I was ready to give it 4.5 stars; I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, as I've been finishing this bottle since mid-April, the quality has significantly declined. The syrupy, wine notes have softened, the oak has vanished, and the last few sips were just a sugary, Kool-Aid-like disappointment, almost unenjoyable. I don't take special measures to preserve my opened bottles, but they also don't typically last long. I could see this one deteriorating after 8-10 months, but not within 6-7 weeks. Oxidation is detrimental here. If you buy or open a bottle, I strongly advise drinking it quickly. Share it with friends and appreciate its freshness. You'll be amazed by how good it is, just don't let it sit on the shelf. My two cents. Consequently, I must significantly reduce my rating due to its high cost and poor longevity. What was a 4.5 upon opening dropped to a 2.5 in under two months. Perhaps I received a flawed bottle, or the cork seal was compromised (unlikely), but this experience has dissuaded me from the Black Arts series. I'll explore other Bruichladdich offerings. My score reflects both the positive and negative experiences. A 3.5-star rating. Cheers.

Aroma - Dark tannic red wine, dark red berries, dark caramel, plums, dried currants, dried cherries (w/ water) Less tannic, dried apples, dark cherry juice, plums, dusty white peppercorns Taste - Gentle white pepper heat, fruity tart & tannic cherry juice, candied ginger, saline, cocoa powder, chili powder, raisins but w/o the sweetness (w/ water) Dry peppercorn heat, unsweetened cherry juice, unsweetened cocoa powder, dried apples, poached pears Finish - Lingering gentle tingle, sweet but tart cherry juice, dark chocolate covered candied ginger, chili powder/sweet paprika (w/ water) Lingering gentle tingle, lightly tart/bitter cherries, cherry pit bitter, unsweetened cocoa powder, light saline Score - 81/100 Final Thoughts - I have mixed feelings about this one because I feel as if I should enjoy it more than I did, but I really can't. There's nothing really bad about it, but it's just kind of boring and I think if I tasted this blind, I'm not sure I'd be able to pick it out as being Bruichladdich. I know a certain person had some pretty big shoes to fill, but I have a feeling this one was either rushed or a cat ran through the blending room & just knocked a bunch of stuff into a vat & they just decided to go with it. It feels like they tried to incorporate some very tannic red wine finished/matured whisky with some dry sherry finished whisky and ended up with a blend that pulled only mediocre notes from both. There's none of that rich sherry goodness nor that bright tannic, but sweet lactic funk from a wine finished Bruichladdich. What you end up with is like a dark chocolate covered tart cherry, but they forgot to add any sugar, so you have this sort of bitter, tannic, tart "dessert" that is almost there, but not quite. Water brightens up the nose a bit, but doesn't help it much. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

A wine cask finish on a very aged whiskey sometimes resembles a poor paint job on a vintage automobile, a clumsy effort to hide the original cask’s flaws. However, Bruichladdich's execution is excusable. Firstly, the distillery openly admits the whiskey they acquired upon restarting was largely beyond repair. Secondly, the leader of its revitalization had prior experience in the wine sector, suggesting an understanding of quality wine casks. Even without this context, Black Art is undeniably appealing. Despite the distillery’s unusual discretion regarding the blend's cask composition, the wine influence is unmistakable. Throughout the tasting experience, notes of aged red wine are thoroughly incorporated into the spirit, making it a superb choice for a relaxing evening drink. I also sampled the recent 6.1 release, which is equally impressive. It presents with a slightly sweeter, smoother profile, featuring hints of chocolate.

A second tasting from the Bruichladdich luxury series. Although I had handwritten notes from the event, I haven't added them to the app yet. This remains a delicious whisky, but the exclusive bourbon influence, according to the Bruichladdich representative, results in a more cake-like, dessert-focused spirit that lacks the complexity of other Black Arts expressions I've tried. It's likely not worth the $400 price point. Nose: Cedar, caramel, vanilla Palate: Black pepper and charcoal, salted chocolate, maple candy, pecans. Finish: Long and delicate, with pepper and burnt sugar.

The stunning bottle and tin are almost worth the cost alone. The contents are quite impressive as well. This 24-year-old Laddie presents layered wine and fruit notes at just under 100 proof (48.4% ABV). It's not an inexpensive whisky at ¥35,000 (£260/$322), and once it's gone, it's gone and will likely increase in price. A complex journey of flavors, essential for any Bruichladdich enthusiast. Delightful!