Bruichladdich reveals world’s first quadruple-distilled 18YO
Islay distillery Bruichladdich has unveiled X4+18 Edition 01, the world’s first quadruple-distilled, 18-year-old single malt Scotch whisky.
Jim McEwan MBE distilled the liquid in 2006. The whisky then spent 18 years maturing in a combination of Bourbon and Rivesaltes casks in Bruichladdich’s warehouses on the Hebridean island of Islay, finished under the supervision of master blender Adam Hannett.
Hannett led The Spirits Business through a private tasting of the spirit prior to today’s launch. “It’s been a long time coming – a long time in the making, but honestly, every time I taste this whisky, it’s just really exciting. It’s so different to everything else we have on the shelf or any other whisky out there. I’m really, really excited to be able to start talking about it, start tasting it out there with people.”
The new release, called Bruichladdich X4+18 Edition 01, is described as one of the most exciting experimental whiskies to date from the Islay distillery, which has built a reputation for innovation since being resurrected in 2001.
Hannett explained that the standard Scotch whisky distillation process usually involves two distillations: first in the wash still, then in the spirit still, with the heart of the run collected and filled into casks at around 63.5% to 69% ABV.
This process, Hannett said, has been “incredibly successful in Scotland for many years. The Scotch whisky industry is doing amazing things because we have a winning formula and we stick to it.” But, he said, in 2006, McEwan wanted to explore the idea of additional distillations, asking the question: ‘What would happen if we took that spirit and we distil that again, and then we distil that again?’
Taking the distillation process a step further is extremely costly for the distillery, Hannett shared. “Effectively, it becomes an incredibly expensive spirit, because you’re distilling it twice more. By distilling, you’re reducing the volume. A week’s worth of production would usually fill approximately 200 casks. As you quadruple the still, all of a sudden, you’ve got spirit for about 30 or 40 casks. So you’ve drastically reduced the amount of whisky you’ve got.”
Bruichladdich DNA
But this experiment was about exploring the history of Bruichladdich as a Victorian distillery, Hannett explained. “We have people who are curious about whisky – that’s our DNA, to be able to do those kinds of things, because we’ve always had that freedom. Even today, we’re owned by Rémy Cointreau and we’re no longer an independent distillery, but we still have that mindset. We still have that approach to making whisky, which I love.”
He added: “We’ve never lost that curious spirit. I think that’s one of the things we have here at Bruichladdich – the way we pass on that mindset, the way we do things, and that spirit of adventure. Today, we are here to taste this 18-year-old, quadruple-distilled whisky, and it’s incredible. But really, it was just purely to see what would happen. It’s been a long time since quadruple-distilled spirit was made in Scotland. For us, it was about looking back at how this was done, those old stories, taking inspiration from that, and trying it ourselves.”
The idea of quadruple distillation was inspired by a 17th-century account from Scottish travel writer Martin Martin, who described a spirit known as ‘usquebaugh-baul’ – or ‘perilous whisky’ – distilled four times on the Scottish islands.
McEwan first revived the concept in 2006, producing small batches of quadruple-distilled spirit that went on to become cult releases for the brand, including Bruichladdich X4+3 Perilous Spirit in 2009, Octomore Discovery in 2014, and the 70% ABV Octomore X4+10 in 2019, which sold out instantly.
Radical distillation
X4+18 Edition 01 is the first of a four-part series. Each 18-year-old expression will marry radical distillation and cask exploration. Only 2,400 bottles of the inaugural edition will be released this month (November).
The whisky has been bottled at 63.5% ABV, having first entered the casks in 2006 at 85% ABV. This is a very atypical strength for a new make spirit, Hannett explained, and one that could eventually find itself aged for 100 years under the right warehouse conditions.
“Typically, we’re filling at 69% ABV, but distilling again and again, refining that character and making it lighter and more elegant, resulted in 85% ABV. The interaction of that spirit with the wood is completely different.”
This, Hannett said, is because the way the spirit interacts with the wood during maturation changes at these higher strengths, resulting in unique flavour developments that differ from the standard process.
The casks chosen for the maturation of the quadruple-distilled spirit – Bourbon and Rivesaltes – have resulted in a single malt that boasts sweetness and rich, fruity, wine-like notes.
Among the myriad of flavours picked up on the palate, the overwhelming tasting note is that of Wine Gums, evoking a nostalgic, fruit confectionery flavour. This is joined by sweet, dried fruits such as figs and apricots, honey and Muscovado sugar, and hints of Christmas cake.
It offers a soft, round texture on the mouth without dryness, and an elegant, floral, and slightly nutty finish.
Hannett reiterated how this maverick experimental approach to whisky making, which is instilled in the team at Bruichladdich, has allowed the brand to create this whisky that is “like no other in our warehouses”.
“The philosophy is so important. It’s why we always talk about this state of mind, this way of doing things, because it’s stuff like this quadruple distilling of whisky that nobody else was going to do. Nobody else had the imagination or the will to take that risk and to put that expense into the spirit.
“Back in 2006, as an independent company, we had no money. But this kind of thing was still going on, because as distillers, we ask ourselves what gets us excited and what gets us interested.
“I feel really privileged that it is my turn to make these kinds of decisions. I’ve got the benefit of something like this, which no one has ever done before. I feel that it’s an incredible privilege to be able to take this whisky and work on it and look after it the best way we can, put it into a bottle and be able to release it around the world.
“It really speaks about who we are, what we do at Bruichladdich. And as I say, that spirit is still very much alive today – that experimentation. I like to think that as time goes on, we’re always going to have something exciting like this to pull out of the bag.”
The new X4+18 Edition 01 comes in Bruichladdich’s premium Luxury Re/Defined proprietary bottle, made with recycled glass, and labelled with a contemporary design from creative agency Thirst. The vibrant label features four abstract graphic elements, representing the whisky’s journey through the stills.
X4+18 Edition 02 will be released in 2027.
The first expression sets the tone for B Corp-certified Bruichladdich’s 25th anniversary celebrations. These will begin in January 2026, when the distillery is expected to unveil more special releases nodding to its ‘short but impactful’ history.
The whisky is available to purchase now at uk.bruichladdich.com/products/x4-18-edition-01, for dispatch on 26 November. It is priced at £225 (US$296).
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