Bruichladdich’s New Black Art Whisky Is Shrouded in Mystery but Draped With Flavor
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Whisky brands are not generally known as being beacons of transparency. But Bruichladdich is one scotch distillery that is usually an exception to the rule, offering detailed information about exactly what’s in the bottle. That is not the case, however, when it comes to Black Art, a high-end single malt whisky that is shrouded in secrecy. Details about the eleventh release might be scarce, but the whisky itself is excellent.
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Black Art 11 was created by Bruichladdich head distiller Adam Hannett, who selects barrels from the warehouses to blend together for each annual release. He doesn’t have a whole lot to say about what’s in the bottle, but asks for a little trust. “As a whisky maker, it is liberating to have complete creative freedom,” he said in a statement. “As a whisky brand committed to giving our customers as much information as we possibly can, each Black Art single malt signals a moment of total trust. It’s about putting faith in myself as the whisky maker, but also having trust in the time-honored craft and the pursuit of unforgettable flavor.”
So here’s what we do know. Black Art 11 is a 24-year-old single malt and 1994 vintage (it must have been vatted at some point over the past few years since that number indicates the youngest whisky in the bottle). Only “pre-renaissance casks” were used, meaning they were filled before the distillery was shuttered in 1994 and then refurbished and reopened in 2001. It was bottled at cask strength of 44.2 percent ABV and is non-chill filtered with no color added. Beyond that, one can venture some guesses as to what types of barrels were used to mature the whisky. We had a chance to sample the liquid, and it does not appear that any peated malt was used, or if there was the smoke has mellowed over nearly three decades. Based on the color and flavor—which includes notes of dried fruit, sea salt, cinnamon spice, cherry syrup, tropical fruit, toasted nuts, and creme br?lée—it seems likely some type of fortified wine or red wine casks were included in the blend, possibly augmenting a base of ex-bourbon barrels. Whatever the case, the whisky is quite good and very complex with balanced notes of sweetness and spice.
Last year’s Black Art 10 release was a 29-year-old single malt and 1993 vintage bottled at 45.1 percent ABV. We got to try that one as well, and the palate had notes of orange, ginger, lemon meringue pie, apricot, and marzipan. Black Art 9 was also a 29-year-old whisky, while Black Art 8 was aged for 26 years, so all of these releases are generally in that 25 to 30-year-old maturation range. But each does stand on its own, so if you’re lucky enough to find a few different editions to compare and contrast consider yourself lucky. You can purchase Black Art 11 now from ReserveBar (SRP $550), along with other expressions in the Bruichladdich lineup like the newly designed Classic Laddie bottle.
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