Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2006

When you have that many expressions as Bruichladdich you really have to sweat your marketing department for new ideas. Sometimes they do a good job. Sometimes they don't. This is one of those don'ts.

I picked this expression up after reading some decent reviews about it and how scarce it was on the ground. Bere Barley, the oldest barley ever to be grown and from which original whisky was first made, yields less than 50% of normal barley crop and it apparently destroys all the machinery. Yet, someone decided it would be a good idea to use this barley to produce this unpeated dram.

Bad idea.

The nose is a bit weird. Cut green chillies tossed in an edamame salad and drizzled with lemon linseed oil and condensed milk. Now I don't mind linseed oil since it's a common friend amongst Islay whiskies but this particular one is frankly too stale for my liking. As if left in a cupboard for ages and then discovered by surprise.

That same stale linseed oil is back on the palate and ruins everything that followed afterwards like the honey, lemon and chocolate. It's not nice at all.

The finish is a touch peppery with some lemon drops.

That yucky oily business spoilt everything for me.

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