.bruichladdich - islay barley - rockside farm 2007

50% abv, €60, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: Immediately a fat scent comes into your nose: the scent from salted butter and freshly baked popcorn and salted almonds. Hay-like cereal notes, fresh barley, cut grass and some violets. Sweet and fruity tones from honey and various citrus-fruits, contrasted by mushrooms, mussels and a whiff of mint
Palate: Sweet maple syrup and spicy vanilla tones, combined with oranges and pears.
Finish: A dry, long and strong finish, with some of the fat from the nose.
Mark: +++/++

Conclusion: Not my favourite of the evening. Especially the strange notes are a bit off-putting. Not something that I would buy any time soon, but also not something I would pass on.

More info: This was dram two during a twitter tasting with four surprise 20cl samples of the new 2013 core range from Bruichladdich, who also hold the Port Charlotte and Octomore brand names.

from the website: Harvested in 2006 and distilled in 2007, the grain for this iconic whisky was grown for Bruichladdich in the Minister’s Field at Rockside Farm by Mark and Rohaise French. A painfully slow distillation to gently coax the delicate oils and flavour compounds from the barley, coupled with casks carefully selected to preserve those flavours, has resulted in a whisky of exceptional complexity. We believe terroir matters. Distinctive, authentic and unique, this is land and dram united.