tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post444083284964192966..comments2024-03-12T21:47:25.783-07:00Comments on Chemistry of the Cocktail: Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Rocks, Waves, and Peat - or "What Was Jim McEwan Thinking?!?"Jordanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-4814617991873036422015-08-28T06:11:23.836-07:002015-08-28T06:11:23.836-07:00Well there is in fact a difference in the taste of...Well there is in fact a difference in the taste of the whiskys recently being released by Bruichladdich. The NEW rocks is not the same as the release from 5+ years ago. I taste the same flavor profile as their "ORGANIC" bottling which to me IS simply NOT GOOD. In my opinion the mashbill has changed. This is disappointing to me, as I thought some of the bottlings that were released 4 , 5 and 6 years ago to be EXCELLENT. Now it is CAVEAT EMPTOR!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00952123615349750027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-17151524232439198452014-05-25T07:25:23.315-07:002014-05-25T07:25:23.315-07:00I have a vertical tasting of the old 10, 12, and 1...I have a vertical tasting of the old 10, 12, and 15 Year expressions coming up. It'll be interesting to compare them to the new Laddie 10. From the what I've tasted before, they seem like night and day.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-84905420838118293802014-05-25T07:00:35.024-07:002014-05-25T07:00:35.024-07:00Rocks was initially (at its introduction) at least...Rocks was initially (at its introduction) at least drinkable. Later versions are not good. I question what they are doing at Bruichladdich the last few years. I was a huge fan of the distillery when Reynier, McEwan & co. reopened it and their early bottlings of the purchased inventory were often wonderful. I also commend them for many of the things they have done to encourage local production of barley and their devotion to Islay sourcing. But with many of the new releases it seems they are pushing product out the door just to generate some sales revenue and are less concerned with the quality of the product. Many (though not all) of their NAS releases are just not good. Where I live we can buy Laddie Classic which in reality tastes nothing like what I remember Bruichladdich tasting like, and also more recently their Scottish Barley has become available, which is slightly better than the Classic but both still seem unbalanced, with an excess of heavy, one-dimensional wood/butterscotch notes. I miss the signature flavour of the Bruichladdich I remember, a clean, almost talc-like quality that their current releases sadly lack. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-24020461588698876912014-05-23T22:05:23.872-07:002014-05-23T22:05:23.872-07:00For official samples my concern is not what goes i...For official samples my concern is not what goes in, but what happens in the bottle. Too much sun, heat, or oxygen can turn the whisky bad, and the risk is 1-2 orders of magnitude greater than in a regular-size bottle.<br /><br />For "unofficial" samples such as Master of Malt there is also the fact that you don't know how long the original bottle they are pouring from has been open; presumably they use the whole bottle at once, but I don't have any info in this respect.Florinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14445344658258056628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-21664664228544945722014-05-23T15:13:55.609-07:002014-05-23T15:13:55.609-07:00I've had the Rocks twice and got two completel...I've had the Rocks twice and got two completely different experiences from it. The first time it was very wine cooler-ish with lots of berries, almost no whisky to be found. The second time it was extra sour and extra oaky. A strange whisky. Another of McEwan's releases wherein he seems to be putting lipstick on a pig, but the lipstick is the wrong shade, is uglier than the pig, and is made out of pig.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-45236681514149781862014-05-23T10:40:31.162-07:002014-05-23T10:40:31.162-07:00I have met people who genuinely enjoyed Rocks, so ...I have met people who genuinely enjoyed Rocks, so it's possible, but it still speaks to a distinct lack of quality control. Again, these are supposed to be an introduction to the brand. Any distiller with an ounce of forethought would want to make sure those were absolutely on-point.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-18303978420675272392014-05-23T10:36:13.845-07:002014-05-23T10:36:13.845-07:00I wonder whether indeed this was a flawed sample -...I wonder whether indeed this was a flawed sample - especially for the Rocks. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing that anyone would willingly bottle and sell. I also suspect Bruichladdich to be one of the more fragile whiskies in terms of withstanding time and elements in the bottle (especially a mini). This being said, I recently had a 'meh' (but not 'uugh') Bruichladdich - the Organic 2013.Florinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14445344658258056628noreply@blogger.com