Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012
Official Bottling | 50% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Nicely balanced with an enjoyable mouthfeel
Why did I buy this?
During the course of ups and downs, it's beneficial to reflect, be grateful and be kind to yourself.
I often have to think a little bit before I land on a preamble for a Dramface review. It might come to others faster, but I always start with advice given to me by the wonderful Dougie Crystal: “What compelled you to buy this bottle? Why did you want to taste it?”
The answer is always fear of missing out and I want to try all the whisky ever. But those would make for some horrible reviews and do a disservice to the hard work put into this amazing platform by the entire team.
Bruichladdich is a whisky I tried for the first time this year. Having read Broddy's 2013 Islay Barley review, it sounded right up my alley. I also saw the Classic Laddie on sale for £35 in my local supermarket and thought: “Why not?”
I took a punt, sipped it alongside Dougie’s Classic Laddie review and was impressed. It was added to the list for some auction hunting which resulted in an auction win of that ugly Matthew Adams Bruichladdich, as well as this tasty wee Bere Barley. So, with the bottle in hand, I pondered about what Dougie had asked and thought back to when I bought that Laddie in January to where we are now in June.
Thinking back through these past six months, a lot has happened without having to mention the calamity of inflation and interest rates. I thought I'd dedicate the opening of this review to talk again about how important self-care is. Taking care of your physical and mental health. I spoke about this last year for a Tomatin review from a differing perspective. But it goes to show how much we need to keep on top of this as it can only benefit us in the long run.
I think those in the northern hemisphere are glad to experience some warmth and additional sunshine as we kick off our summer holidays. Seasonal weather change, in my opinion, bears a huge change in our moods. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) really is a thing. I've felt my mood and overall form change for the good as the evenings are brighter. I'm not waking each day in darkness and setting aside time to go outside. It’s super beneficial - more so because I work from home 80% of the week.
I've learned over these past months how important it is to carve out time for me to do the things I enjoy and make me happy. Like many people, I’ve had to take some time off from work due to stress and found doing the things I loved made me feel so much better. Dramface review content from myself was elevated, I managed to get some more time playing video games and putting an exercise regimen in place too. Another crucial aspect I took on board was help from a counsellor through daily meditation and journaling.
Upon waking, a cold shower blast and 10 minutes of deep breathing exercises set me up for the day. Being in the moment, clearing my head and shaking it up with that sudden coldness is invigorating. There's a lot of benefits on cold water dips or at home ice-baths. Jotting down the quick wins for the day, what I'm grateful for and a feeling check in takes around 5-10 minutes too. Building that into the routine allows me to reflect on moments when it has been much better, no matter how small. For example, that meeting I dreaded ended up being a fantastic confidence-boosting chat.
These are just little things I've tried that have worked, while other techniques and angles might work better for others. One thing I was recommended to try was reading the Paul McKenna book Change Your Life In Seven Days. That was not for me. However, trying out a variety of mechanisms has given me a great strategy for dealing with whatever stressful factors come up. I'm only in my 30s and have a long while to go until I can retire, so my thinking was battling this head-on and becoming better at self-care and being kinder to myself. It's a message for anyone. In the moments where you may feel bleak or down, there's a network of people who can help. There are a lot of resources or materials that can help you. Just try them out.
As always, I am grateful for the opportunity I have to be a part of this amazing Dramface team as well as interacting with you marvellous whisky folks who are part of the community. Drink responsibly, take care of yourself and seek out those little wins. They make all the difference.
Review
Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012, Orkney Bere Barley, 4th July 2022 bottling, 50% ABV~£85-100, £70 Paid.
Produced from the 2011 harvest of heritage Bere barley supplied by the Agronomy Institute of Orkney College. According to the Bruichladdich website and information on this bottle: “Bere is Britain’s oldest strain of cultivated cereal and would have been used by Scotland’s early distillers through distant centuries.” A fascinating look on the use of such a unique and old style of grain for scotch whisky. Almost like tasting a dram made from all those years ago.
This whisky has been matured for a decade in first-fill ex-bourbon casks.
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Nicely balanced with an enjoyable mouthfeel
Nose
It’s a little quiet initially. Soft hint of white grapes, mixed with a lovely malt note and toasted oats. There's charcoal intertwined with wisps of smoke and cold, wet coffee grounds. Some meaty elements that remind me of beef gravy and mashed potatoes. Short blasts of black peppercorns and warm flat bread, maybe a pitta with a hint of rosemary. Lasting smells of blitzed walnuts and nutmeg.
Palate
A lovely and weighted mouthfeel. Chewy in all the right places. Some prickle up front with all spice that coats the tongue. It's smoked, it's sweet and has a delicious balance. I taste large rocks of salt, smoked wood and lime juice right away. Such a weird and wonderful mixture. The oats from the nose come forward mixed in with honey and shortbread biscuits. That meaty element transforms and remind me of beef sausages with button mushrooms. The meat and smoke linger quite nicely, resulting in a medium-long finish with the sweet smoke kick at the very end.
The Dregs
A sweet malty liquid is a flavour profile that I'm continuously seeking these days, through the likes of Deanston, Benromach and indeed Bruichladdich. From the Classic Laddie experience through Islay Barley, indies and then this Bere Barley, I'm very much liking this non-peated Islay liquid. A little hint of Islay maritime is married in there too with this, that makes for some good sipping.
This might have scored a 7 due to the price. It's a wonderful whisky with depth, complexity and a balance I've thoroughly enjoyed. But you'd be hard pressed to get this at retail for less than £85 here in the UK - a price that would have me second guessing for sure when I consider replacing this bottle. Really have to watch the spending these days. New mortgage rates have hit the wallet big time.
Next up for me is to try and snag one of the single cask provenance bottles I'm seeing at auction, if I can nab it for sub £60 (yeah right). As for this, it's a good 'un from Bruichladdich. I'm glad I managed to pick this one up and I'll share it as much as I can and continue the journey into more Laddies if I can.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HF
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