I just got out of a meeting with Andrew Gray from Bruichladdich, and Chris Tridle from Winebow (the importer). We discussed the upcoming availability of several bottlings that aren’t yet available in the US. There were long discussions on the 125th Anniversary, the Blacker Still, the Celtic Nations, the La Fleurtation, and all the different expression replacements. They brought five bottles for tasting, but as I already sell three of them we just tried the Rocks and Infinity.

Their ten year is slowly running out of stock; it’s soon to be replaced by a nonvintage vatted called “Rocks.” The Rocks uses the entire range of Laddies from 4 to seventeen years. The barrels are bourbon, but the whisky is “ACE’d” in Grenache casks! The wine accent gives it a massive size in the mouth… one of the biggest mouth feels that I’ve ever found in a bottle. There’s a sharp oily note on the back that makes it great for cold, wet, weather.

The Infinity vats three different sherry cask vintages together. The peating is 15ppm; and the whisky has similarities to the Glenfiddich 15 Solera, but without the sluggish heavy notes. The bottling is named after the finish which “goes on towards Infinity.”

Also great news is that Bruichladdich is in discussion with the gent at Black Maple Hill (whose name I can’t remember) to see about bringing the Murray McDavid lines into the states.

The meeting was a delight, and Mr. Gray was a credit to his company. He gave me all kinds of interesting information that hasn’t been released publicly yet. Normally I’d spill the cup, but I think that I’ll wait until the distillery makes it common knowledge.