Bruichladdich bottles 30-year-old whisky

Islay-based Bruichladdich Distillery has launched its Luxury Redefined range, which includes a £1,500 (US$1,892) 30-year-old single malt whisky.

The Luxury Redefined range also includes The Bruichladdich Eighteen. The two expressions are the brand’s first high age-statement whiskies.

The 30-year-old is said to be a tribute to the brand’s history. It was produced from casks that were filled with the last of Bruichladdich’s spirit before the distillery was mothballed in 1994; the distillery was then inactive for seven years until it was resurrected in 2001.

Exclusively matured in Bourbon casks, the liquid was swapped into fresh Bourbon barrels for its final 10 years of ageing.

Its notes are described as featuring a mix of toasted oak, honey and soft vanilla, as well as a hint of dark chocolate with its ‘complementing floral profile’. It has an ABV of 43.2%.

Adam Hannett, Bruichladdich’s head distiller, said the production of the whisky, in almost lost casks, captured “a pivotal moment in time for the distillery”.

He added: “This 30-year-old single malt not only celebrates the resurrection of our Victorian distillery but pays homage to the men who laid down this spirit three decades ago.

“The future of Bruichladdich was uncertain in the early 1990s. From the brink of permanent closure to now the largest private employer on Islay, Bruichladdich Distillery and the local community has slowly rebuilt and flourished over the past three decades – all while this spirit has quietly matured.”

The Bruichladdich Eighteen was put in motion when the distillery reopened in 2001 and was distilled from the first crop of barley raised in 2004, along with organically grown grain and varietals from the Scottish mainland. It was matured primarily in ex-Bourbon casks and a small number of Port and Sauternes wine casks.

Bottled at 50% ABV, its profile is described by the brand as ‘full-bodied and beautifully fragrant’ with notes of honey, butterscotch, and citrus orange.

Hannett called it an “ultra-high provenance single malt whisky”.

“Every single element of The Bruichladdich Eighteen – from the specific harvest and barely varietals used to the exact casks it has matured in – is fully traceable. Which, for a whisky of this age, is quite incredible,” he added.

The Bruichladdich Eighteen has an RRP of £150 (US$196). Both can be picked up from the brand’s website and select whisky retailers.

A commitment to sustainable packaging

Since Bruichladdich became the first Scotch distillery to gain B-Corp status – which recognises brands for displaying the highest levels of social and environmental performance – it has increased its work towards sustainability and reducing unnecessary waste.

Both whiskies are presented in eco-friendly outer-packaging, made by James Cropper, a UK-based luxury packaging specialist. The brand cites this as an industry first.

The packaging is both lightweight and plastic-free, produced using 100% green energy. The bottle itself is said to contain an average of 60% recycled glass, and plastic-free labelling.

Gareth Brown, global marketing director of Bruichladdich, said: “These high age-statement bottlings are a marker in time for Bruichladdich. Beyond incredible liquid alone, they signify how far we have come since our distillery was reopened in 2001.

“Our founders set out to create the most thought provoking spirits with provenance and authenticity at their heart – and The Bruichladdich Eighteen and The Bruichladdich Thirty are this vision realised.

“When it came to launching these prestige whiskies, we set out to prove that sustainable packaging can be simultaneously stripped back and beautiful, and I believe we have achieved this with our Luxury Redefined range.

“Rather than adding elaborate packaging or unnecessary weight we have chosen to subtract, letting form follow function to rethink what modern luxury can – and should – be. Everything – from the weight and functional design of the glass bottle to the recyclable materials, custom colour, and texture of the outer wrap – has been carefully considered to ensure that our new single malt expressions exude contemporary luxury, while staying true to our values.”

Last year, the brand created Islay’s first rye whisky as part of Bruichladdich’s Regeneration Project. The release was one of the top innovative spirits launches from 2023.