This 10-Year-Old Bruichladdich official distillery bottling was released in the 1980s, before the distillery’s closure and subsequent revival. A vintage white label 10-Year-Old, this expression differs from the current 10-Year-Old incarnation which is presented in a distinctive pale blue bottle while retaining the Bruichladdich distillery’s classic light and unpeated style. In this dram from the Bruichladdich distillery the drinker will discover a grassy and fresh style with undertones of gentle fruit and a hint of smoke; a taste of this cult Islay distillery’s history.

ABOUT THE BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY

Located on the shores of Loch Indaal, a sea loch on the western part of Islay, the Bruichladdich distillery was built in 1881 by the Harvey brothers a Glasgow-based family of distillers who owned the Dundashill and Yorker grain whisky distilleries. As with virtually every Scottish distillery established in the late Victorian period the Bruichladdich distillery initially existed to provide malt for blending, originally producing peated malts to satisfy the demand of Glasgow benders.

Over the years the Bruichladdich distillery’s style would shift to meet the blenders needs, and in contrast to the heavily peated Islay whiskies produced by Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig the distillery would become renowned for its output of an unpeated Islay malt displaying a gentler fresh and mildly floral character. The Harveys operated the Bruichladdich distillery until 1929, when the distillery closed as a result of the interwar Depression. Although revived in 1936 and sold to Joseph Hobbs the owner of the Ben Nevis distillery in 1938, for the next thirty years the Bruichladdich distillery would see a succession of owners.

In 1968, the Bruichladdich distillery was bought by Invergordon Distillers, although impacted by a downturn in the whisky market the distillery would operate at reduced capacity throughout the 1980s. After Invergordon’s takeover by Whyte and Mackay Ltd in 1993 the Bruichladdich distillery was closed as surplus to requirements and allowed to fall into disrepair. Bruichladdich looked destined to become one of Scotland’s lost distilleries, but in 2001 it was acquired by a consortium of Islay landowners and London-based wine merchant for £6.5 million. Following renovation, the Bruichladdich distillery resumed production with the new owners evaluating stock of maturing spirit and casks used for maturation to release a series of limited editions, whilst the new maltings retain the distillery’s classic lighter fresh and fruity character.