Bruichladdich 7-Year Tallant Cask 2210

58.2% ABV - Islay, Scotland

Nose: Wine country. It’s a little bit hot at 58.2% ABV, but there is plenty of jammy, prune flavours that makes it wonderful.

Taste: Rich cooked fruits, Seville orange, plum, cherry, strawberry… absolutely delicious! I’ll play with water, but this feels so dense that it could probably take on a decent amount. On the arrival comes some oak barrel tannins.

Finish: Lots of those same dark, jammy fruits with wisps of chocolate and citrus.

This is the first ex-Rivesaltes Wine cask that I have tasted whisky from… hooray for new tastes! Apart from the few distilleries that I actively seek out (including Bowmore and Laphroaig), I like to select bottles based on their uniqueness compared to what I currently have on hand. This 7-Year Bruichladdich definitely checked that box.

I was lucky to taste an entire lineup of single cask Bruichladdich whiskies that had been bottled by Tallant Distillery—a distillery-to-be located in Vancouver, BC, Canada. This one was my favourite, and I had to make sure it was a favourite, favourite because it came with a steep price tag of $235 CAD. It’s definitely worth the price, but I’ll see how fast or slow it takes me to get through the bottle before considering another one!

Fun observation to be made about the bottle itself… the folks at Tallant Distillery selected a cross-section of an oak tree—where you can see all of the rings—to be screen printed on the backside. The liquid inside is so dark that you can barely see it at all, but as you slowly take drams out of it the tree rings start to emerge! As long as they don’t emerge too fast…

It’s nearly Christmas and I’ll be seeing my father soon. I know he really likes this whisky, so it’s coming with me and may his glass be ever full! (Perhaps it will be emptied faster than I think.)

Details: Matured in an ex-Rivesaltes Wine Hogshead. Cask 2110. Unpeated. Single cask bottled by Tallant Distillery.

Notes:>/b> There is a great video review by Adam at The Strath available here.

Tasted 14 December 2021. (Posted 10 November 2022.)

94/100
Detailed Rating Information...

90+: Fantastic whisky; highly recommended.
My favourite whiskies – I might have more than one bottle if the price is right and the supply is limited! The higher values in this range will reflect a stronger balance and consistency between components.
85-89: Great whisky; recommended.
Whiskies that tick the flavour boxes and you'll likely hear about these from me. An easy decision to order at a bar/restaurant and one to consider buying a bottle of.
80-84: Very good whisky; recommended, but still consider trying before you buy.
Most of these whiskies I was really happy to have the opportunity to taste, but, apart from a dram here and there, I don’t think I would buy a bottle.
75-79: Good whisky; consider trying before you buy.
These are whiskies that I did enjoy drinking, but likely would reach for another bottle or select something different to order.
65-74: Average; consider trying before you buy, but not recommended.
There is nothing that stood out about this whisky and I might be inclined to mix it with soda or in a cocktail, instead of trying to enjoy its own flavours.
50-64: Bad; not recommended.
I didn’t like this and would sooner pass on another opportunity and order a beer instead than have it again… but never say never.