Bruichladdich continues to roll out the anniversary presents with Bruichladdich Greener Still.
The 15-year-old single malt Scotch whisky was created to mark 25 years since the Hebridean distillery’s resurrection, joining Bruichladdich Old Skool and Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III which were released earlier this year.
It also pays homage to an infamous single malt series in the Islay distillery’s recent history. You might remember the Still Series: Blacker Still, Redder Still and Golder Still, released between 2006 and 2008 with their striking, opaque, colour-coded bottles.
The Still Series
Blacker Still was first, full term oloroso maturation giving it the colour, that in turn, gave the whisky its name. Then in 2007 came Redder Still, aged in bourbon casks before a 9-month finish in premier Château Lafleur Pomerol French oak wine casks. Finally, in 2008 was Golder Still, aged for 23 years in bourbon hogsheads. The aim then was to showcase the distillery’s experimental approach to cask maturation.
The distillery’s focus has shifted since then. The last two decades have been guided by reducing environmental impact, from regenerative agriculture, experimenting with anaerobic digestion and low-carbon biofuels, to exploring renewable heating solutions such as Green Flame. The ambition is to decarbonise distilling operations entirely. To become, you could say, greener still.
“Bruichladdich Greener Still is the whisky we have been quietly working towards for 25 years. It’s a statement of intent that says flavour and environmental responsibility not only can go hand in hand – they must,” says Gareth Brown, global marketing director at Bruichladdich Distillery.
“When our founders brought Bruichladdich back to life in 2001, they set out to reconnect land, community and dram. Since then we’ve championed local barley, worked directly with farmers, explored Organic, Bere and Biodynamic crops, and committed to being a certified B Corp. Bruichladdich Greener Still is that journey in one bottling, a single malt Scotch whisky rooted in the soil as much as in our stills.”
Bruichladdich plans to go greener still. Hey, that’s a good name for a whisky!
Barley: Organic, Biodynamic and Bere
Bruichladdich Greener Still shifts the emphasis from cask to field, celebrating greener growing and distilling. It’s distilled from a combination of organic (35%), Bere (25%) and biodynamic (40%) barley.
The organic barley is grown on the Scottish mainland without artificial inputs. The biodynamic barley comes from the carbon-positive Yatesbury House Farm in Wiltshire, England, Bruichladdich’s only exception to its 100% Scottish barley rule. Then the ancient, genetically diverse Bere barley is cultivated on Orkney in partnership with the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Agronomy Institute.
Greener Still is aged in first-fill bourbon barrels, resting solely at the distillery on Islay. The youngest whisky in the single malt is 15 years old, and like all Bruichladdich single malt Scotch, it is unpeated. The whisky is bottled at 51.6% ABV, un-chill filtered and with no added colour.
The Bruichladdich Stills. Not the pot stills, obviously.
Bruichladdich Greener Still, literally
“Bruichladdich Greener Still is a barley-forward whisky in every sense. The organic, biodynamic and Bere barley parcels each bring something different – texture, spice, fruit and this incredible malt character that runs right through the dram,” explains the distillery’s master blender, Adam Hannett.
“The bourbon casks frame that complexity without ever overpowering it. You get soft florals on the nose, ripe orchard fruit and honeyed sweetness on the palate, and this effortless, velvety finish with a lick of vanilla and coastal freshness. It’s a whisky of precision and elegance, revealing profound depth the longer you sit with it.”
I liked it a whole bunch. You can probably tell from the tasting note below. It’s very Bruichladdich in character and the bourbon casks do their job of smoothing the edges of that distillery DNA. I can’t profess to being so perceptive that I can pick what each barley element is doing, I just know I like how they dance together, and I really like the whisky’s weight and texture at that ABV.
In a week where Bruichladdich won our Whisky Championships 2026 for the fourth time in six years, we welcome a release that shows why people rate it so highly, and why they’re right to do so.
Bruichladdich Greener Still is now available from Master of Malt
Bruichladdich Greener Still Tasting Note:
Nose: All the vanilla and tropical fruit gives it a nostalgic aroma of an orange Solero ice cream. It’s also got an old school funk along with that buttery Bruichladdich lactone element, plus a lovely apricot jam note. Garden herbs and coastal minerality bring depth in the backdrop.
Palate: Sweet fudge kicks things off alongside a mix of lemon, pear, grapefruit peel and a little banana. The palate thickens and becomes more silky as you drink. There’s hints of almond and coconut oil, a prickle of peppery heat and some maltiness. Water helps to bunch up the spicy elements which start to sizzle in more Bruichladdich butteriness.
Finish: Salted caramel, vanilla, and orchard fruit linger.
