Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III surfaces as part of the progressive Islay distillery’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
The new limited edition is the thrid in from the tongue-in-cheek Whisky of Mass Distinction series of whiskies and pays tribute to the irreverent early years when a real yellow Ministry of Defence submarine was discovered off Islay’s coast in 2005.
The unpeated 14-year-old single malt whisky is aged in a combo of first fill bourbon barrels and first and second fill French red wine casks. Wine casks are fitting given the story of Bruichladdich’s new beginngs, where wine merchant Mark Reynier teamed up with master distiller Jim McEwan and a group of private investors to revive the distillery in 2001.
A background in fine wine helped shape an approach that challenged Scotch whisky convention, embracing a wider range of cask types, championing terroir, and treating provenance with the same seriousness often associated with the wine world.
The whole series in all its yellow glory
The story behind Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III
Ever since the distillery has stood out thanks to its bold ideas, colourful marketing, and a willingness to poke fun at industry traditions. That makes the Yellow Submarine episode feel perfectly on-brand. The range was actually born from a notorious mix-up in the early 2000s. A US Military Intelligence mistakenly flagged Bruichladdich as a potential site for weapons of mass destruction. The distillery approached the bureaucratic blunder with a sense of humour. An exact replica of the lost submersible still standing proudly on site at Bruichladdich today.
“Yellow Submarine captures the spirit of Bruichladdich in its early years – inventive, a bit rebellious and always up for a good story. In the early days we didn’t have big budgets or slick marketing, we had a tight-knit team, a recovering old distillery and a bright yellow submarine parked outside,” says Douglas Taylor, chief executive of Bruichladdich Distillery. “It’s a reminder that great whisky can be refined in the glass, but it doesn’t have to take itself too seriously. This release nods to our past, to the people who backed us when we were just finding our feet, and to the sense of fun that still runs through everything we do.”
Yellow Submarine III is the latest iteration of the cult classic, following Whisky of Mass Distinction: Yellow Submarine (2005) and Yellow Submarine II: The Legend Resurfaces (2018).
Say hello to Adam Hannett, master blender at Bruichladdich
Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III
Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III is an unpeated whisky distilled from 100% Scottish barley, using the Appaloosa varietal grown on the mainland. The whisky has spent its full 14-year maturation at Bruichladdich on Islay, in a recipe inspired by the original 2005 bottling: 25% first fill bourbon barrels and 75% first and second fill French red wine casks.
“Yellow Submarine III is one of those whiskies that makes you smile as soon as you nose it. The bourbon and French red wine casks wrap around the spirit beautifully – you get honeyed oats, buttery shortbread, then this ripple of nutmeg, hazelnut and gentle ginger heat,” Adam Hannett, master blender at Bruichladdich says. “On the palate it’s luxuriously smooth, with orange zest, honeysuckle, apple and pear all playing their part, before crème brûlée richness and a touch of sea salt bring you right back to Islay. It’s playful, layered and moreish – exactly what a Yellow Submarine whisky should be. Dive in!”
Yellow Submarine III is bottled at 54.2% ABV non-chill filtered, with no added colour.
Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III is now available from Master of Malt
Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III Tasting Notes
Nose: Sweet, honeyed oats and buttery shortbread open on the nose, underpinned by a gentle cereal warmth. Notes of lightly toasted hazelnuts and smooth praline intertwine with a dusting of nutmeg, revealing a rich, syrupy sweetness reminiscent of pistachio baklava. Pink peppercorns and a hint of ginger punctuate the sweetness before mellowing into warming spice.
Palate: Luxuriously smooth in texture, a hint of fresh orange zest adds vibrancy and brightness. Delicate waves of honeysuckle and orange blossom follow, complemented by crisp apple and succulent pear. Creamy crème brûlée brings richness and depth, with golden heather and a hint of sea salt transporting you to the rugged, windswept shores of Islay.
