Bruichladdich Distillery

Islay

In 1881 the demand from the booming Blended Industry allowed Barnet Harvey to found The Bruichladdich Distillery. Bruichladdich is Gaelic for ‘the brae (hillside) by the shore’. It is a suitable name since Bruichladdich lies by the shore of Loch Indaal, directly across from the town Bowmore. In 1939 the distillery was bought by a group of Americans who wished to make a typical Scottish whisky they had named ‘The Real McCoy’. The whisky was targeted at the US market, where there was great demand for spirits due to the end of the Prohibition.

The venture was unsuccessful, partly due to WW2. The distillery was sold in 1952 to a group of whisky traders from Glasgow, whom in turn sold it in 1969 to Invergordon Distillers Ltd. When JBB (Jim Beam Brands) acquired Invergordon in 1993, they mothballed Bruichladdich the very next year. With the exception of a few months in 1998 the distillery remained dormant until the turn of the century. In December 2000 three colleagues at Murray McDavid bought it together with a stock of 7 000 barrels. The new proprietors invited the legend Jim McEwan (then Brand Promoter at Bowmore) as a partner and appointed him Master Distiller. After extensive renovations, Bruichladdich re-opened in May 29 2001. Since then several official bottlings have been released. A lot of effort is put into the promotion of the ‘new Bruichladdich’ which they have named Laddie. Bruichladdich are also making two smokier versions, Port Charlotte and Octomore, which will be released in 5-10 years time. Both names come from distilleries that have been closed down for several decades.

A Selection of Bruichladdich

Online Shops

Bruichladdich

2005-07-16

TWE^*

St Andrews

Bruichladdich 10 yo 46%

Bruichladdich 12 yo 46%

Bruichladdich 3D The Peat Proposal 46%

Bruichladdich 15 yo 46%

Bruichladdich 17 yo 46%

Bruichladdich 20 yo 46%

Bruichladdich 20 yo 46% Flirtation

Bruichladdich Vintage 1970 44,2%

Bruichladdich Vintage 1973 40,2%

Bruichladdich 1970 Valinch 45,5%

Bruichladdich Legacy III 35 yo 40,7%

Bruichladdich Links St Andrews 14 yo 46%

Bruichladdich Links Augusta 14 yo 46%

Bruichladdich Links Troon 14 yo 46%

Short Fact: A reborn distillery which has released several bottlings lately. We especially recommend the 15 YO.

Character: Nutty, smoky aroma. Of good body with some saltiness, smoke and a touch of citrus.

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Production at Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich choose not to chill-filter their whiskies, neither do they colour it. For storing, they use mostly bourbon casks and some sherry casks. The casks are stored in their ten on-site warehouses except for the Port Charlotte whisky which is stored in two old distillery buildings in the nearby town of Port Charlotte. As one of only three mainland distilleries, Bruichladdich also have their own bottling hall. It was opened in April 2003 and is fully automated except for labelling and packaging which is done manually.

Contact Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich Distillery
Bruichladdich,
Isle of Islay,
Argyll PA49 7UN
Scotland

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Phone: +44 (0) 1496-850221
Fax: +44 (0) 1496 850 477

Manager: Jim McEwan

Visitors: Ever since the complete renovation in 2001 Bruichladdich have an impressive visitor centre with guided tours and a shop. They also offer the opportunity to bottle your very own ‘Laddie’ for approx. £50.

The visitor centre is open all year round 9am-5pm, except March-October when it is open 10pm-4am. They have 2-3 daily guided tours priced at £3, which you get back when you make a purchase.

Owner: Bruichladdich Whisky Co Ltd

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