Bruichladdich Islay Barley Unpeated 2014 Single Malt 750ml

Bruichladdich Distillery was built in 1881 on the shore of Loch Indaal by the Harvey brothers, and it stands as the most westerly working distillery on Islay after Kilchoman. The site fell silent in 1994 before a group of investors led by Mark Reynier bought it in 2000 and restarted production the following year, with Jim McEwan installed as master distiller to lead the revival. Rémy Cointreau acquired the distillery in 2012, and it has continued to build its identity around provenance and terroir, becoming in 2004 the first Islay distillery to grow its own barley locally.

This 2014 vintage is distilled entirely from Concerto and Propino barley grown on eight farms within eleven miles of the distillery, part of Bruichladdich's long-running Islay Barley series. It is unpeated, in keeping with the distillery's core style, and was matured for over eight years in a combination of first-fill bourbon casks, second-fill sherry butts, and second-fill wine casks before being bottled at 50% ABV, without chill filtration or added colour.

The nose leans floral and cereal-driven, with sweet malt, ripe stone fruit, and a touch of pepper and spice. On the palate, apricot and peach meet honeyed digestive biscuit and fresh grass, while creamy vanilla and a faint maritime note carry through a long, clean finish.