Lochindaal and Old Skool Bruichladdich variants
Ever since the Dutch whisky festival in Leiden, I have debates with whisky friends about all these variations that are made at the Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay. This is because Whiskysite, the organiser of the festival in his hometown, bottled a Bruichladdich Rhinns. What I hear about this variant, is that it contains a combination of one part Bruichladdich recipe to two parts Port Charlotte recipe. Alright, alright. And what about Lochindaal? We are going to taste one today. My dear whisky friend Sjoerd of the now dormant Maltfascination blog reached out to Bruicladdich to settle the dispute. Apparently nothing weird about this variant, just an unorthodox peating level. All the rest is exactly the same as how regular Bruichladdich is made.
Our warm up drink is the new but old-fashioned looking Bruichladdich Old Skool. This bottle celebrates the reinstating of the distillery exactly 25 years ago and has a very cool retro label!
Bruichladdich Old Skool 10 years old, bottled at 50 % abv
First things first: A vatting of mostly bourbon matured Bruichladdich (which sounds indeed delightfully old school) but with a pinch of sauternes casks (just 5 % of the total). Bottled in February 2026.
Upon Sipping: I poured it a good ten minutes ago, and the glass next to my laptop is standing there being all fragrant and elegant smelling. Under the nose a beautiful medicinal whiff of vanilla. Yeah, lots of minerals too, and a touch of limestone. A layer of ozone and a pinch of lemony oils. The arrival on the palate reveals the lightest touch of those sauternes casks. Quite a good bite on the tongue, grassy and sharp, with lots of spices and herbs. The lemons linger on the finish. This bottle is also meant to be a tribute to the farming partners of Bruichladdich, as the distillery works with a lot of local Islay barley. It is a fitting tribute indeed. The hints of dry barley, sand road dustiness leading up to those farms, it runs like a thread through this whisky from start to finish. With water, it turns a tad too briny for my taste, but in essence, this Bruichladdich Old Skool stays authentic. A robust Islay single malt!
Word to the Wise: A lovely tribute indeed! Can we imagine a world without Bruichladdich?
Score: 87 points
Lochindaal 2007, 18 years old, bottled at 58 % abv by Bruichladdich
First things first: Private Cask Bottling # 3354 was a bourbon barrel that produced 178 bottles. It was distilled on 29 November 2007 and bottled on 5 March 2026. According to sources, “Lochindaal is a single malt whisky from Bruichladdich that falls in terms of smokiness somewhere between Port Charlotte and Octomore”. Quite smoky then!
Upon Sipping: Quite some ashes from the start, before I pick up something like peated apples. Fruity smoke, and then a meaty note. To take this Lochindaal 2007 on the tongue, is just a delight. Deliciously soft, sweetened peat, smoky vanilla and then a finish that carries a massive bite. Almost like a werewolf of a whisky. Seems neat and well-dressed, but it has a bolder, rough side. With water, we manage to lure out more peat smoke, but also a farmy hint of manure. Also, the smell of your hand after brushing a horse. My daughter is a horse girl so I know the smell very well. And I like it. Water makes the liquid feel even sweeter on the palate, green apples and all, but the composure remains the most impressive part of this Lochindaal 2007. Such a good balance. Maybe I expected a little more fireworks, but with such a beautiful composition, I can’t complain about a whisky that has got it together. After repeated sipping, some nice lemons make an appearance.
Word to the Wise: This Lochindaal is brilliant in its simplicity, but remains a bit too much in the middle of the road to reach over the 90-points mark. Still, I prefer this style very much. It feels confident and charming.
Score: 88 points.