Bruichladdich Black Art 5.1

Black Art 5.1 is Bruichladdich’s fifth release in their Black Art series, an annual release of well-aged ~smokey~ blends created by their master distiller at the time. This fifth release is the first for their new master distiller. Really, there’s very little to indicate why this bottle is worth the premium, apart from the price. Count me as implicitly skeptical of whiskies that give little to no information (though the age statement is appreciated) while commanding an extremely high price. My experience is that they are rarely worth the cash. Lets see if this can change my mind.

Post review note: when tasting this I was totally misinformed, thinking this was a peated whisky. You can probably sense some confusion coming through in the tasting notes. The review is unedited and can act as a good example of the power of suggestion. I tasted smoke where there was none! Thanks to /u/sengin31 for pointing this out on reddit.

---

Distiller: Bruichladdich
Distilled: 1992
Bottled: 2016
ABV: 48.4%
Age: 24yo
Cask type: Undisclosed
Source: Pour at Bergen Beer and Whisky Festival
Setting: Unblind

---

Nose: Vanilla, wet mossy funk, citrus, some blue cheese, linen. The moss and cheese has edges of ashy smoke. Surprisingly mild.
Palate: Cheese, grain, vanilla and some heat. A round bouquet of funk.
Finish: Finishes long, fruity (apple, citrus) and mildly funky. A less than pleasant durian note.
Overall: Not exactly as smoky as I was expecting, and despite how it may sound from my notes, this was a pretty restrained whisky. The funk is the most prominent note, beyond even the smoke, but it is far from the funkiest whisky I’ve tasted. This is a very solid whisky, but it absolutely does not warrant the price tag to me.
Rank: 7