Bruichladdich Cuvee 407 - PX

from a purchased sample

Nose: A little bit of malt and barley, as well as whiffs of bbq sauce. Really, though, the PX sherry shines and dominates. Is this brandy de Jerez? Salty nuts, grapes, syrup, and chocolate. A little smoky quality emerges, clean peat. It really is almost lost in the sherry. Fortunately, I like Spanish brandy. Sugar-coated barley and vanilla bringing it back to more of a whisky profile.

Palate: Bizarre. The initial entry is like a salty, medium-syrup Spanish brandy. Grapes, and, well, sherry. At the mid-palate, there are faint notes of sweet barley malt, and just a vague suggestion of dry smoked ham and mesquite bbq. Nice and straightforward.

Finish: Again, an interesting mix of brandy and whisky flavors. It's enjoyable even if there isn't much complexity. The mixture is bit odd and not always well integrated, but it's tasty and lacks any rough spot. Almost more of a brandy with whisky teaspooned into it than the other way around.

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