I'm so glad you reviewed this. I decided not to take the plunge because of the price. I love the distillery and their core range but they have gone the way of a distillery of two halves. I'm left wondering why the price of the expensive stuff is a thing. Bruichladdich - We love you but can you please justify the price of this bottle. I'm serious: Justify it in this comment. I'll touch on the price of Octomore elsewhere. The 30 just shows the direction of the distillery and the regrettable direction of whisky companies now. It's acceptable to sell 10 year old whisky for £100. Okay, why the wine casks? It's 18 year old whisky so why do that? It's Bruichladdich so just leave it in a lovely ex-bourbon cask for 18 years. What's that you say? You don't have any decent ex-bourbon casks any more, even from 18 years ago. It sounds delicious all the same. I'm actually extremely pleased that it exhibits subtlety which is a sadly neglected ingredient in the whisky world these days. I'm still disappointed with the price though. Great review as always. WT
As usual thank you for your comment mate. I almost didn't get it but kind of justified the price as the shop I got it from had it at £145, then 10% discount online discount, no shipping as I just walked into the shop (it is one of my locals), so £130.50 was the total I paid for it. Not a hugely significant price difference, but enough for me to sway my decision and take a punt I guess. The price of the 30 year old though is beyond a joke, and in my opinion strictly for the collectors, considering there are many independent options for long-aged Bruichladdich. On first tasting I don't personally think the wine casks add that much to this...will let it sit for a month or two and try it out again to see if there is any change. Like you I personally would have just preferred it to sit in a lovely ex-bourbon cask without any other cask maturation. Having said that the lovely barley notes really do shine, which is something I always look for in Bruichladdich. Just wish there was a bit more "chalkiness" and manure type funk, however I do enjoy the delicate nature of this dram. If it's possible for you to get a sample I think it would be well worth a tasting mate. Thanks again 🥃
Nice to see a review on this one. New sub to your channel. I know you probably didn't notice but that circle part of the paper packaging acts like a latch and can be opened and reclosed. You have to pull the edge of the circle to release it. A pity you didn't notice that prior to opening, but to be fair I saw a video on Bruichladdich's website that showed this, so in all fairness I may have damaged the package as well if I were not aware of this. I'm just mentioning it now so that you can be aware of this on any future Bruichladdich purchases you may make that carry this style of packaging. 🙂 As a fellow Whisky enthusiast, I tend to follow Ralfy's 1 min per year rest period on an age stated bottling prior to experiencing my first taste. So in this case that would be 18 mins minimum rest in the glass. I am aware it is difficult to do when you are trying to make a concise video sharing your first experience with a bottle. So I fully understand not waiting a full 18 mins prior to first taste. I do find that it is quite beneficial to wait that 1 min per stated age on the bottle because the spirit does tend to change a bit. I also initially thought the price for this bottling was on the high side myself, but if we consider that 50% abv on an 18 yr is significantly higher than the 40%, 43%, or even 46% abvs that are on most 18 Yr offerings. The considering that, I think the price is fair. I'm in full agreement with you on that 30 year pricing as it is only 43% abv, and the independent bottlings are far less expensive. I would love for you to re-review this 18 year old bottling after letting the spirit rest in the glass for 18 to 20 mins prior to tasting. Perhaps you've already tasted this waiting longer already. If so has it changed much? Thank you for the video as I always enjoy another person's take on a whisky. As I write this, including my sub, you are only 2 subscribers away from your first 100. Congrats to you in advance, as this bottling will surely drive some views for you to accomplish that milestone shortly.
Many thanks for your comment mate, and welcome to the channel. Yeah, to be honest I had no idea that there was a way to release the paper packaging without destroying it 😂 Definitely something to look out for with any future Bruichladdich releases, so cheers for the tip. Regarding resting, I generally always rest my drams, be it whisky or rum. As far as I am aware this is one of the few times I have reviewed a freshly opened bottle...generally I always give a bottle some time and review it once the juice has passed the neck. I guess I could have done some editing, and let the dram breathe in the glass a bit more, but really wanted to give my thoughts in real time. I will definitely do a re-review of this in a month or two, and give the spirit time to rest a bit more in the glass. Regarding pricing (as mentioned to WT in the comments) I kind of justified the price as I managed to get this from my local with 10% discount, which swayed my decision. I might not have purchased it at its full retail price without the discount. Not a massive price difference, but somewhat significant. Yes, very close to 100 subscribers...just feel privileged that folk watch me and my ramblings. I always get so nervous on camera, but always try to give my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks for watching 🥃
I think you’re are doing a great job! You are authentic and that’s really all of us viewers can ask for. I imagine it is intimidating doing reviews for an unknown audience but you hide any discomfort well. We are all only human after all. I look forward to your future milestones. Please continue to do what you are doing. The Whisky Community can never have enough honest opinions. I will work your back videos to get more of a sense of what agrees with your palate as discovery is part of the journey. 😀 I saw you had reviewed Hazelburn 15 so I’m eager to see what you thought of it. It’s a bottle that is quite difficult to locate in the States for me.
Great review! This bottle is just landing in shops here in California and your review is one of the only ones I’ve found. I can see what Bruichladdich was going for with the idea of “redefining luxury” but, for me, the marketing team really missed the mark; comes off the wrong way. That being said, their juice and approach give their whiskies a pedigree that few others have. For that reason, I can justify the cost of the 18. The 30 on the other hand feels like a nonsense Macallan release - a ridiculous price tag for a 43% whisky. Anyway, thanks again for the thought & time put into the review of the 18. Cheers
Thank you for your comment mate and glad that you enjoyed the review. 100% agree with you on the price tag when you can get a 30 year old G&M Connoisseurs Choice for nearly a third of the price of the official bottling and at 51.9% ABV. Depending on how much stock there is I can personally see it sitting on the shelves for years to come. Although I do like the packaging I don't fully get the whole concept of "redesigning luxury". They have amazing spirit, good casks and a transparent approach...they should just focus on that imo. Tasting it just now after a week of it being open I am enjoying it more and more. I will definitely re-review it in a few months, and perhaps taste it alongside other Bruichladdich offerings. Thanks for watching 🥃
@@mattholton9341 Hope you enjoy it when you get it mate. Moving forward I have decided that from now on for new, freshly opened bottles I will do a first impressions video when I first open it, then in a month or two do a proper review once the bottle has had some time to breathe. I think that is the only fair way to fully judge a bottle 🥃
It's a tough price isn't it. Dram has opened up a wee bit more for me, and I am glad I got it, however I am really into rum at the moment, and there are several rum releases I would get and have tasted that I much prefer at around the same price or less. Did you make a decision in the end?
I find it very difficult to fully judge a whisky based on a freshly opened bottle, which is why I tend to review open bottles. As I said for me it lacks the "farminess" and "chalky/pebble" mineral element compared to the likes of the 7 year old Organic (Cask Whisperer) I reviewed, but maybe that is due to it being older perhaps? I honestly don't know. So yeah, a bit disappointed, considering its price, however I will come back to it in a month or two and see if things have changed. I still highly enjoy the delicate floral nature, and the malted barley notes do shine...I guess it just lacks a bit of punch and "oomph" that I expect from a Bruichladdich. Again that could be down it being older. Thanks for watching mate and for your comment.
@@TheReal_DeanD Hey mate apologies for the late comment. Have been side tracked by rum recently but I did taste this a few days ago and I feel it has settled down nicely. Will definitely re-review when I get the chance 🥃
I'm so glad you reviewed this. I decided not to take the plunge because of the price. I love the distillery and their core range but they have gone the way of a distillery of two halves. I'm left wondering why the price of the expensive stuff is a thing. Bruichladdich - We love you but can you please justify the price of this bottle. I'm serious: Justify it in this comment. I'll touch on the price of Octomore elsewhere. The 30 just shows the direction of the distillery and the regrettable direction of whisky companies now. It's acceptable to sell 10 year old whisky for £100.
Okay, why the wine casks? It's 18 year old whisky so why do that? It's Bruichladdich so just leave it in a lovely ex-bourbon cask for 18 years. What's that you say? You don't have any decent ex-bourbon casks any more, even from 18 years ago. It sounds delicious all the same. I'm actually extremely pleased that it exhibits subtlety which is a sadly neglected ingredient in the whisky world these days. I'm still disappointed with the price though. Great review as always. WT
As usual thank you for your comment mate. I almost didn't get it but kind of justified the price as the shop I got it from had it at £145, then 10% discount online discount, no shipping as I just walked into the shop (it is one of my locals), so £130.50 was the total I paid for it. Not a hugely significant price difference, but enough for me to sway my decision and take a punt I guess. The price of the 30 year old though is beyond a joke, and in my opinion strictly for the collectors, considering there are many independent options for long-aged Bruichladdich.
On first tasting I don't personally think the wine casks add that much to this...will let it sit for a month or two and try it out again to see if there is any change. Like you I personally would have just preferred it to sit in a lovely ex-bourbon cask without any other cask maturation. Having said that the lovely barley notes really do shine, which is something I always look for in Bruichladdich. Just wish there was a bit more "chalkiness" and manure type funk, however I do enjoy the delicate nature of this dram. If it's possible for you to get a sample I think it would be well worth a tasting mate. Thanks again 🥃
Nice to see a review on this one. New sub to your channel. I know you probably didn't notice but that circle part of the paper packaging acts like a latch and can be opened and reclosed. You have to pull the edge of the circle to release it. A pity you didn't notice that prior to opening, but to be fair I saw a video on Bruichladdich's website that showed this, so in all fairness I may have damaged the package as well if I were not aware of this. I'm just mentioning it now so that you can be aware of this on any future Bruichladdich purchases you may make that carry this style of packaging. 🙂
As a fellow Whisky enthusiast, I tend to follow Ralfy's 1 min per year rest period on an age stated bottling prior to experiencing my first taste. So in this case that would be 18 mins minimum rest in the glass. I am aware it is difficult to do when you are trying to make a concise video sharing your first experience with a bottle. So I fully understand not waiting a full 18 mins prior to first taste. I do find that it is quite beneficial to wait that 1 min per stated age on the bottle because the spirit does tend to change a bit.
I also initially thought the price for this bottling was on the high side myself, but if we consider that 50% abv on an 18 yr is significantly higher than the 40%, 43%, or even 46% abvs that are on most 18 Yr offerings. The considering that, I think the price is fair. I'm in full agreement with you on that 30 year pricing as it is only 43% abv, and the independent bottlings are far less expensive.
I would love for you to re-review this 18 year old bottling after letting the spirit rest in the glass for 18 to 20 mins prior to tasting. Perhaps you've already tasted this waiting longer already. If so has it changed much? Thank you for the video as I always enjoy another person's take on a whisky. As I write this, including my sub, you are only 2 subscribers away from your first 100. Congrats to you in advance, as this bottling will surely drive some views for you to accomplish that milestone shortly.
Many thanks for your comment mate, and welcome to the channel. Yeah, to be honest I had no idea that there was a way to release the paper packaging without destroying it 😂 Definitely something to look out for with any future Bruichladdich releases, so cheers for the tip.
Regarding resting, I generally always rest my drams, be it whisky or rum. As far as I am aware this is one of the few times I have reviewed a freshly opened bottle...generally I always give a bottle some time and review it once the juice has passed the neck. I guess I could have done some editing, and let the dram breathe in the glass a bit more, but really wanted to give my thoughts in real time. I will definitely do a re-review of this in a month or two, and give the spirit time to rest a bit more in the glass.
Regarding pricing (as mentioned to WT in the comments) I kind of justified the price as I managed to get this from my local with 10% discount, which swayed my decision. I might not have purchased it at its full retail price without the discount. Not a massive price difference, but somewhat significant.
Yes, very close to 100 subscribers...just feel privileged that folk watch me and my ramblings. I always get so nervous on camera, but always try to give my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks for watching 🥃
I think you’re are doing a great job! You are authentic and that’s really all of us viewers can ask for. I imagine it is intimidating doing reviews for an unknown audience but you hide any discomfort well. We are all only human after all. I look forward to your future milestones.
Please continue to do what you are doing. The Whisky Community can never have enough honest opinions.
I will work your back videos to get more of a sense of what agrees with your palate as discovery is part of the journey. 😀 I saw you had reviewed Hazelburn 15 so I’m eager to see what you thought of it. It’s a bottle that is quite difficult to locate in the States for me.
@@tiredoffools8929 Thank you for your very kind words mate. Hope you enjoy the Hazelburn 15 review as well...definitely need to revisit it soon 🥃
Great review! This bottle is just landing in shops here in California and your review is one of the only ones I’ve found. I can see what Bruichladdich was going for with the idea of “redefining luxury” but, for me, the marketing team really missed the mark; comes off the wrong way. That being said, their juice and approach give their whiskies a pedigree that few others have. For that reason, I can justify the cost of the 18. The 30 on the other hand feels like a nonsense Macallan release - a ridiculous price tag for a 43% whisky. Anyway, thanks again for the thought & time put into the review of the 18. Cheers
Thank you for your comment mate and glad that you enjoyed the review. 100% agree with you on the price tag when you can get a 30 year old G&M Connoisseurs Choice for nearly a third of the price of the official bottling and at 51.9% ABV. Depending on how much stock there is I can personally see it sitting on the shelves for years to come. Although I do like the packaging I don't fully get the whole concept of "redesigning luxury". They have amazing spirit, good casks and a transparent approach...they should just focus on that imo.
Tasting it just now after a week of it being open I am enjoying it more and more. I will definitely re-review it in a few months, and perhaps taste it alongside other Bruichladdich offerings. Thanks for watching 🥃
I just ordered one and should have it next week; looking forward to tasting it! Please do post a re-review once you’ve had more time with it. Cheers
@@mattholton9341 Hope you enjoy it when you get it mate. Moving forward I have decided that from now on for new, freshly opened bottles I will do a first impressions video when I first open it, then in a month or two do a proper review once the bottle has had some time to breathe. I think that is the only fair way to fully judge a bottle 🥃
Saw this at my shop for 189 euro. Maybe if it's still there another time.
Yeah 189 euros is pushing it a wee bit. Don't think I would get it at that price to be honest 🥃
Hi Pill. Did you get the Bruichladdich 18 year? I’m on the fence about it.
I just don’t know on this. In my area it’s $180 USD before tax. I may flip a coin when I’m at the store.
It's a tough price isn't it. Dram has opened up a wee bit more for me, and I am glad I got it, however I am really into rum at the moment, and there are several rum releases I would get and have tasted that I much prefer at around the same price or less. Did you make a decision in the end?
Mine shot a drop out as well. I think it's the glass cork because my only other bottle that does that is Silent Pool Gin with a glass cork.
$ 169 in NYC . He destroyed that beautiful packaging .
Packaging, ffs 🤣🤡
Sounds like you were well disappointed with this one. I can't seem to totally appreciate Bruichladdich's offerings.
I find it very difficult to fully judge a whisky based on a freshly opened bottle, which is why I tend to review open bottles. As I said for me it lacks the "farminess" and "chalky/pebble" mineral element compared to the likes of the 7 year old Organic (Cask Whisperer) I reviewed, but maybe that is due to it being older perhaps? I honestly don't know.
So yeah, a bit disappointed, considering its price, however I will come back to it in a month or two and see if things have changed. I still highly enjoy the delicate floral nature, and the malted barley notes do shine...I guess it just lacks a bit of punch and "oomph" that I expect from a Bruichladdich. Again that could be down it being older. Thanks for watching mate and for your comment.
@@whiskyjourney175any update now since a month has passed?
@@TheReal_DeanD Hey mate apologies for the late comment. Have been side tracked by rum recently but I did taste this a few days ago and I feel it has settled down nicely. Will definitely re-review when I get the chance 🥃