Feis Ile 214 has started last Friday and I’m not there. Sad but inevitable as I was on Islay last October and will be visiting UK/Scotland again this summer so no budget for another visit at the moment. So instead of visiting Islay physically, I’m there in my spirit and soul.

In order to celebrate the festival, I’m starting a series of whisky tasting notes for the coming week, pairing every distillery open day with a matching whisky review of that distillery which will be called “Feis Ile 2014, Wish I was there“, and the first victim distillery is Bruicladdich.

The selected dram to celebrate Bruichladdich open day in Feis Ile 2014 will be the Bruichladdich Cuvee 640.

From the distillery page:

THIS AMERICAN-OAK-AGED BRUICHLADDICH HAS BEEN FURTHER MATURED IN LIMOUSIN OAK CASKS FROM ACQUITAINE THAT FOR MANY YEARS CONTAINED ONE OF THE GREAT EAUX DE VIE. THESE CASKS’ TANNINS HAVE ADDED NEW LAYERS OF RICH COMPLEXITY TO OUR OWN ELEGANT, FLORAL BRUICHLADDICH WHISKY. THIS IS A SPIRIT TO GIVE PAUSE, TO REFLECT ON. A SPIRIT AS MUCH FOR THE MIND AS FOR THE PALATE

Well, what isn’t mentioned there that the Limousin casks are Eroica Cognac barrels and it’s 21 year old whisky. Should be an interesting pairing, right?

Bruichladdich Cuvee 640 (46%, £79.58 (UK only) or £97.45 (UK, Europe, US & Others))

Nose: Fruity and warm with some whiffs of lactic acid (Bruichladdich or not?), then full range of fragrances is blossoming with peaches, apricots, oranges, dark chocolate, some spicy fruits, all very soft, balanced and perfumey. The cognac is doing great here!

Palate: Very fruity with red apples, strawberries, cereal and lactic notes, warm spices, gentle oak wood spices

Finish: Medium-long length with gentle oak and fruits

Conclusion: Good job here on Bruichladdich behave with pairing the Bruicladdich spirit and the congac impact – so fruity and fragrant yet soft and gentle whisky.