When it comes to Scotch whisky, heritage and tradition have long been key selling points. But now it’s time to start thinking different. Customers increasingly want brands that genuinely care1, with fifty per cent of Millennials willing to pay extra for sustainable products2 – single malt scotch included! So today, we’d like to introduce you to single malt whiskies that are shaking things up – all the way from the Scottish Isle of Islay.
One of only six in the world
Bruichladdich Distillery embodies sustainability in every drop they produce – and they have the certifications to prove it! Located on the fabled island of Islay on the ‘whisky coast’ of West Scotland, Bruichladdich is one of only six distilleries worldwide to achieve B Corp certification. The B Lab has independently verified them as ‘using business as a force for good’. Bruichladdich’s B-Corp credentials show that it meets the highest certified accountability, transparency and environmental performance standards.
Bruichladdich is all about doing things differently – Bruichladdich’s flagship whisky, the famous Bruichladdich Classic Laddie unpeated single malt, is a case in point. Even a glance at Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie’s unusual blue bottle will attest.
Unlike many single malt brands, Bruichladdich uses only 100% Scottish barley – much of it grown on local farms. Barley is the most flavour complex cereal in the world. Without the influence of peat smoke, the Classic Laddie exposes its true brilliance.
Bruichladdich passionately believes in terroir – in authenticity, place and provenance. In the making of Bruichladdich, different terroirs impart subtle nuance and variety. Different barleys are labelled and traced by variety, parcel by parcel, from different farms and fields. For ultimate traceability, every bottle of the Classic Laddie has a batch code printed on the back of the bottle. Customers can enter the code on the Bruichladdich website to reveal the unique recipe for that specific bottle.
A distilling philosophy
Bruichladdich Classic Laddie is not a recipe set in stone but a distilling philosophy. Authenticity is not sacrificed for consistency or uniformity. Instead, year by year, the variety and provenance of their barley shape their spirit. An ever-increasing range of casks is sourced to evolve the suite of flavours in their warehouse. Each batch of the Classic Laddie will, by nature, be unique and subtly different. Ultimately their Head Distiller curates this assemblage of their finest spirits to showcase the classic, floral and elegant Bruichladdich house style.
In the words of Bruichladdich’s Head Distiller, Adam Hannet:
“We’re proud of everything we do here. There are no shortcuts and no secrets. We’re an open book on who we are and how we make our whisky.”
Many distillers use caramel (150e) to achieve a darker, consistent colour for their whisky – but that’s not Bruichladdich’s style. Bruichladdich also rejects chill-filtration, which is used to strip the natural oils from whisky and stop it from going cloudy when bottled at 40% ABV. At Bruichladdich, taste and mouthfeel matter far more than uniform appearance – the results are nothing short of remarkable.
Tasting Notes – Bruichladdich Classic Laddie
Colour
Sunlight on fields of early summer barley.
Nose
A brilliant bouquet opens with barley sugar and a hint of mint before leading into glorious notes of freshly cut wildflowers.
Palate
The palate entry is refined and refreshing, the sweet oak and the barley arriving together, sending the taste buds into raptures. The fruits from distillation drift in on an Atlantic breeze and pop on the tongue like champagne bubbles.
Finish
A combination of ripe green fruit, brown sugar and sweet malt brings closure.
To taste Bruichladdich is to realise that not all single malts are created equal – and that you must use 100% Scottish barley to achieve the absolute best.
Agriculture & Biodiversity
Bruichladdich’s partnerships with their local farming community now see over 50% of their annual requirements grown locally across 21 different farms, preserving heritage barley varieties and protecting agricultural ecosystems.
Motivated by a strong sense of responsibility to Islay and the people who live there, Bruichladdich refuses to outsource its warehousing and bottling, making them the largest private employer on the island.
From production to disposal, Bruichladdich creates as little impact and waste as possible – they’ve eliminated 100% of single-use plastic from all of their sites and made all packaging 100% recyclable. Their whole operation runs on 100% renewable electricity.
The team at Bruichladdich are blazing the trail to a new kind of whisky production that helps support and sustain their local community, environment and the planet. While yielding remarkable results across the entire Bruichladdich unpeated single malt Scotch whisky range.
You can be proud to offer this single malt whisky with true sustainability at its heart and instant customer appeal.
To order, contact your State Manager below. And if you’d like to know about the Whisky 101 staff training series, contact National Ambassadorial Manager Mark Hickey on 0420941853.
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