Bruichladdich’s Yellow Submarine resurfaces
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Islay distillery Bruichladdich has brought back one of its ‘most iconic’ whiskies, Yellow Submarine.
Bruichladdich was brought out of mothballs in 2001, with the distillery recently revisiting its inaugural whisky as part of its birthday celebrations.
The new limited edition, Yellow Submarine III, pays tribute to the distillery’s early years when a real yellow Ministry of Defence submarine was discovered off Islay’s coast in 2005. An exact replica of the lost submersible stands on site at the distillery today.
The series was born from a mix-up in the early 2000s, when US Military Intelligence mistakenly flagged Bruichladdich as a potential site for weapons of mass destruction.
The 2026 edition follows Whisky of Mass Distinction: Yellow Submarine (2005) and Yellow Submarine II: The Legend Resurfaces (2018).
Douglas Taylor, chief executive of Bruichladdich, said: “Yellow Submarine captures the spirit of Bruichladdich in its early years – inventive, a bit rebellious and always up for a good story.
“In the early days we didn’t have big budgets or slick marketing; we had a tight-knit team, a recovering old distillery and a bright yellow submarine parked outside.
“Bringing Yellow Submarine back for our 25th anniversary is about honouring that spirit. It’s a reminder that great whisky can be refined in the glass, but it doesn’t have to take itself too seriously.
“This release nods to our past, to the people who backed us when we were just finding our feet, and to the sense of fun that still runs through everything we do.”
Yellow Submarine III is unpeated and distilled from 100% Scottish barley, using the Appaloosa varietal grown on the mainland.
The whisky spent its full 14-year maturation at the distillery on Islay, following a recipe inspired by the original 2005 bottling: 25% first-fill Bourbon barrels and 75% first- and second-fill French red wine casks.
Master blender Adam Hannett said: “Yellow Submarine III is one of those whiskies that makes you smile as soon as you nose it.
“The Bourbon and French red wine casks wrap around the spirit beautifully. You get honeyed oats, buttery shortbread, then this ripple of nutmeg, hazelnut and gentle ginger heat.
“On the palate, it’s luxuriously smooth, with orange zest, honeysuckle, apple and pear all playing their part, before crème brûlée richness and a touch of sea salt bring you right back to Islay. It’s playful, layered and moreish – exactly what a Yellow Submarine whisky should be. Dive in.”
Bottled at 54.2% ABV, Yellow Submarine III is non-chill filtered and has no added colour.
The whisky is priced at £100 (US$134) and is available from the distillery’s website and specialist retailers from today (1 June).
Last week, Bruichladdich partnered with Whitebox to create a range of ready-to-drink cocktails.
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