Bruichladdich 17 Year Old Rum Cask

Demerera Rum Cask finish: I think that there is a good deal of misunderstanding about this Rum and the fact that it is a Golden Rum and NOT a Dark Rum! The colour of the Whisky replicates Demerera Rum rather pricisley ...Golden. It is a good match for the Gayana Rum Enmore in colour. Enmore Distillery used a selection of superb casks, notably Chateau Latour supreme quality French Oak casks, some of which I suspect found their way to Islay via Berry Bros and Rudd, who coincidently bottled a superb Enmore Rum at 19yrs.from finest French Oak at or about this time. This would account for the fact that The Bruchladdich Rum Cask exhibits all the characteristics of these casks:

Nose: A most attractive nose of Demerera enhansed spirit and gentle oak with very much understated vanilla tones. This is a subtle, sophisticated, bewitching, even, nose that is inviting indeed. I see no peat at all at this stage.

Palate: An Oaken grip, dry and assertive, again the Rum influence with molasses and smoke (from the Rum?) and a delicious undercurrent of sweet maltiness. I'm looking for Islay and not finding any: No peat, no Iodine, no lowtide medicinals but in their place sweet maltiness and a firm oak. There is an overcoat of fine ground white pepper which while being attractive is none too subtle and shades of ginger and perhaps Cinnamon which is a brilliant touch.

Finish: A long finish superbly intergrated with all the characters and beautifully balanced flavours in a glorious finale and encore which dries very firmly - Old un-charred oak firmness which is puckering and not, I would think for the faint- hearted.

To use a young person's description, "This Whisky certainly has bloody attitude!" (One of my offspring); it is assertive!

Score: 95/100.

The longer this is in the glass the more the pepper recedes as a Golden Syrup swirl laces itself through the palate and is probably worth another point. Marvelous