Bruichladdich the Laddie Sixteen – Summer Solstice feelings

When the day was young, a long ago it was distilled. 16 years ago, it fell onto long slumber in American oak barrels. Or parts of it did. Rumours tell, that the vatting to produce this dram has used many parts of older Laddies too. But for simplicity, this is Sweet Sixteen.

The roots are in the summer and in the sunlight. Amber coloured, Midsummer enstrenghtened. There was a dream of whisky, that would honor the lineage and traditions and with Laddie-series it has come to life. This is not smoking hot, it does not include burning and searing coals. It does not produce a smoke that fills out the neighborhood and nearby hills. No, I’ve come to learn about Laddies from different angle. It took me a while, to like and accept their more complex and less violent nature. Like a poet sitting on a rock, if you listen but for a minute you get nonsense. Sit by him for an hour and listen. Just listen. Your mind will be filled with worlds beyond our comprehension. You need to sit down by this dram and enjoy. Don’t push it. Don’t anger it. Just sit, breathe and relax. The essence will come to you.
The nose is delightful. Fruity and summery. It is a summer solstice and quiet night without a night. There are no knights, no battles, no engines. Just still life and frozen time where hours and minutes don’t matter. The taste takes me to a rowboat, where you spend hours and hours fishing. Your line on water, cork popping slowly on light waves. You don’t really care if you remembered to attach the hook or even if you did, where is the bait? There is a breeze of wind, bright reflections of streams of sun on the lake, a swan doing a flyby. You remember lost tales, recall your grandpa’s stories. You never believed them, but now they make sense. This is not a explosion, but a long lasting fruity and sweet sensation. It is perfectly balanced. And yet, it is still Whisky. You have to be careful. Don’t fall out of boat or you may drown. There is some teeth, some big fish that can eat through your fishhook and yank it off your arms. But that would be just fun.
This dram has a great taste. It is indeed a Sweet Sixteen. This does not smash through crowd but it is a water of life you can offer to royalty. Slainté!