The Bruichladdich Islay 14 Year old is unique in both character, as well as the bottling of this specific run, as is apparent from the image to your left.
This limited run commemorative bottling was issued when an Islay fisherman discovered a bright yellow object floating beneath the surface on the ocean, 5 miles from Bruichladdich. At first thinking it was a drum, he was shocked to discover it was in fact a Ministry of Defence submarine ROV, and a long drawn out incident ensued when the MOD initially denied that it was even theirs.
To commemorate this somewhat farcical affair, said run features pictures of the ROV on the label, as well as a somewhat comedic message on the back:
"FOUND: One submarine, wallowing aimlessly in North Atlantic near Islay. Colour: Bright Yellow. Distinctive markings: Ministry of Defence. Contact: Fisherman Baker on Islay 917850. Reward Expected"
Colour: Warm caramel.
Nose: Hot, orange zest, honey and heather with caramel accents.
Palate: Buttery salt & seaweed mixed with cereals that give way to fresh passion fruit and tart apple.
Finish: Strong-bodied with a sweet but brief, uplifting hot spicy finish.
Overall: While the Bruichladdich 14-year old is really quite a savory scotch, there is little to no smokiness and the finish comes off a touch spicy for such a smooth, buttery palate. All around however, an excellent single malt from a distillery that enjoys producing commemorative runs.
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