Bruichladdich Classic Laddie Scottish Barley

Last week it was announced that near the end of the month, Connosr will cease to exist as an interactive site. The site will be available as “read-only” going forward. As someone who has enjoyed reading reviews, and has learned so much by writing reviews, I thought I would get as many in as I can in the coming week before my cabinet is sealed for Passover. On April 14 I reviewed 5 Bruichladdich expressions. This was the second one.

When I gave up on finding a replacement bottle for one of my favourite Bruichladdichs, the Laddie Classic, I decided to give this one a try. I bought it and opened it in July 2019. It was not bad. But as with many bottles it languished in the depths of my overflowing cabinet. Until, at least temporarily, this week. It’s about half full, gassed after each use.

This expression is reviewed in my usual manner in a standard Glencairn, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes, followed by the addition of a few drops of water, waiting, then nosing and tasting.

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Nose: 22/25

Rich, sweet and syrupy (a heavy fruit syrup). A hint of stewed fruit (maybe canned peaches?). A little vanilla and cinnamon. No real difference with water.

Taste: 21/25

Sweet, effervescent arrival. Fruity, spicy in the development. Thin mouthfeel. Slightly spirity. Slightly more bitter and peppery with water.

Finish: 21.5/25

Fairly long finish, slightly spicy and sour. Hint of passionfruit. With water the passionfruit disappears, replaced with pepper

Balance: 22/25

The palate does not quite fulfill the promise of the nose.

Score: Neat - 86.5 /100 With Water: 86.5 /100

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In comparison to the Laddie Classic, Classic Laddie is slightly lighter in colour and has a slightly thicker, more syrupy nose. The palates are very similar, and both reflect the classic Bruichladdich signature, but the Classic Laddie is a bit more peppery. Both very solid drams.

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Having tasted four solid Bruichladdich expressions at the same sitting, it was almost mandatory that I pour all the contents into a single glass and see what I get.

On the nose, fruits, some spices, a hint of syrup. On the palate, very full flavoured., fruity and peppery. This is very mush a good marriage of the sum of its parts. I guess this is because they all have at their core a very solid, high quality, distinctive Bruichladdich distillate.

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This is a solid whisky, and still available here in Ontario (2023 batch). I picked one up when trading in a gift bottle after tasting it for this review. It’s not The Laddie Classic, but it’s a fair substitute.

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