Bruichladdich Laddie 8

Pale yellow straw like colour, thick and oily coats the glass with thin legs some droplets taking an age to fall.

The initial nose is quite a belt of acidic notes which settle after 10 minutes giving way to tart Apple, lemon and sour cream, there is a wine influence but the malt starts to show through.

With a little water the nose still acidic wine notes but the rest of the aromas seem to meld into an overly tart lemon cheesecake.

Left to stand 15 minutes before first sip, initially bright light and sweet on tip of tongue as the oiliness coats the tongue there is a lovely sweet sour crossover as the acidic note comes through, which turns peppery on the side and back of the tongue.

With a couple of drops of water the flavour profile is much the the same but the malt comes through a little.

The finish is drying and long with peppery aftertaste.

Overall I get the feeling this would be an excellent whisky to give a wine buff as an introduction to single malt. I have only tried the Classic Laddie in bars and found it was a little rough on the edges with the alcohol showing on the finish, the 8 smooths out any edges and provides a more rounded expression even though the latest news on the Classic show that it is mainly a 7 year old I will probably pick up this next time I pass through an airport, in my opinion well worth the extra £5.

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