Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2006

When you have that many expressions as Bruichladdich you really have to sweat your marketing department for new ideas. Sometimes they do a good job. Sometimes they don't. This is one of those don'ts.

I picked this expression up after reading some decent reviews about it and how scarce it was on the ground. Bere Barley, the oldest barley ever to be grown and from which original whisky was first made, yields less than 50% of normal barley crop and it apparently destroys all the machinery. Yet, someone decided it would be a good idea to use this barley to produce this unpeated dram.

Bad idea.

The nose is a bit weird. Cut green chillies tossed in an edamame salad and drizzled with lemon linseed oil and condensed milk. Now I don't mind linseed oil since it's a common friend amongst Islay whiskies but this particular one is frankly too stale for my liking. As if left in a cupboard for ages and then discovered by surprise.

That same stale linseed oil is back on the palate and ruins everything that followed afterwards like the honey, lemon and chocolate. It's not nice at all.

The finish is a touch peppery with some lemon drops.

That yucky oily business spoilt everything for me.

Gift sample from a friend

Nose: Light smoke and malty. Waxy and a little crystallized dried fruit. Almost reminds me of a classic Clynelish. Vanilla and slightly creamy lemon. It smells a little sweet, with very light petrol and a nervous, sour flowery note. Pleasant, if not a bit simple and straightforward.

Palate: Sweet cereal, vanilla, smoke, and more of that sour note - but not too much. A bit lemony and light, less Clynelishy now, and more tarry.

Finish: Ah, I wasn't sure how this would turn out, and it's a bit of a let down. The immediate transition is bitter and heavy on the wood. Eventually it calms down to tar/tire, lemon, wax, and more malty sweetness. This makes for a decent summer dram, and would be a pleasant drinker. Not without flaws, nor deep, but easy enough.

I liked it as a whole and found it rather enjoyable, but it missed a bit due to the simplicity and the quiet palate, along with the awkward transition.

Very light pale straw colour. Intense aniseed hit on the nose and on the approach, mellowing to liquorice with a little water. The fizzy Love Hearts tang from the bere barley is present, but you have to know what you're looking for and go hunting for it; otherwise, it's overpowered by the smoky peatiness you get from any Islay whisky.