Bruichladdich 10 year old

Taste is a subjective thing so it is unlikely that others will like what I like and agree with my descriptions of taste. However I am keeping this record so that I will be able to look back on my travels, seeing how my perceptions change with time. I have seen tasting notes talking about citrus notes. I have a grapefruit for breakfast every day and I don't think I have ever experienced a whisky that tastes anything similar. When people describe a whisky as chocolatey, what sort of chocolate are they talking about?

Ever out for a bargain Dot, my wife, bought a box of fine chocolate bars at quarter price in the post Christmas sales. It really is lovely stuff and comes with a leaflet of tasting notes. Would you believe it? One of them is described as "complex notes of tobacco, whisky and smoke". It's bad enough being told that whisky tastes like chocolate, but the other way round, no way.

Now I must get on with the matter in hand and the first whisky that I really enjoyed, Bruichladdich 10 year old in its squat bottle, blue label, and posh tin. It's bottled at 46% alcohol so no chill filtering has removed those subtle flavour enhancing components that precipitate out with further dilution of the cask strength liquid. Judging from the pale yellow colour, it is all the natural result of putting clear spirit into ex bourbon oak barrels for a few years.

It's easy on the eye and easy on the nose too. There is nothing powerful here, just an almost imperceptable floral scent on top of the spirit. Moving on to the taste there is a straightforward oakiness in the strong spirit. It is approachable and enjoyable in its simplicity. A couple more sips and the alcohol begins to warm the spirit and calm the nerves. When the family assembled the day after my father in law died, we all started to pick up after emptying a bottle of this. It was a healing dram indeed.

The next instalment on my journey concerns a single barrel bottling of Aberlour, but that is for another day.