A tale of two Islays
First things first: this is a Bruichladdich distilled in different stills. It's a 'coming of age' in that it's the first 10 year old that they've got out of these particular stills.
It's limited to 6,000 bottles, which now appear to be sold out. But I have one here...
The nose has some interesting reviews, including ash, tarmac and mint. I'm not sure I agree with that: I get something that's definitely got the Islay feel to it but has hints of wet moorland in driving rain. Peat is there, but it's not dominating In the way that some Islay drams can be; and it's not medicinal in the phenolic way that a Laphroaig can be,
Once you've got over the mouth-sucking experience of the first couple of tastes, it seems to settle down to embers and a rather fruity sort of experience. The slight hint of beachy salty, islandy Islay honesty is there, but it's - well a bit moderated by fruit rather than battered by phenols. Then the whisky pixies arrive and stick their little pins into your tongue: strange really, although it's not actually unpleasant. As with most Laddies, this isn't a metropolitan whisky, whatever it may try and pretend to be: a couple of sips and the rural background comes out - and it's all the better for it.
The finish is Islay, again. Earthy, peaty but with the balance that a Laddie tends to have. Perhaps slightly oily, but only a hint. It's a finish that begs another sip,
Which, strangely, brings me to the Laphroaig Cask Strength.
Why? Well, because the review I've just ambled past suggests it as an alternative - and given that I happen to have the Laphroaig Cask Strength the cupboard, it seems churlish not to try it.
My initial reaction was that they're very dissimilar; and having tried them back-to-back, I reckon I was right.
The Laphroaig has a nose that's obviously a Laphroaig; that phenol is hard to disguise. Okay, it's also got a slightly interesting, almost floral thing going on somewhere under there, but the predominant feature is a visit to the medicine cupboard when the house is on fire.
The taste is something else altogether: crescendo doesn't quite do it justice, but there are initial warming notes which are shortly overwhelmed by a peaty inferno and then fade into a lovely spicy dryness that almost overwhelms the aromatic finish. Then the finish returns and smacks you round the head with pepper and you wonder why you were in the slightest bit concerned about the taste.
This is a whisky that you know you're going to struggle to come out on top of, but bloody hell it's fun wrestling with it.
Anyway, back to where we started, that PC10: it's not a bad wee dram at all. Perhaps 91% or so, nudged a little higher because of what it is.
The Laphroaig is a totally different beast, not so much of a dram for all seasons, but to those who appreciate a whisky that fights back... well, it's entertaining to say the least.
