The 11th edition of Bruichladdich's Black Art series is a 24-year-old unpeated single malt, drawn from casks that were filled before the Islay distillery's 2001 renaissance. Only head distiller Adam Hannett knows the recipe, with the barley and cask types remaining undisclosed for this unrepeatable expression.
Dried fruits, leather and a hint of citrus immediately open on the nose, followed by a fresh sea breeze. Sweet fruit and floral notes come to the fore, with poached pear, delicate rose hip syrup, black cherry, and sweet mango. The complexity of the single malt is apparent as the aromas continue to open, with cedar and mellow oak complemented with butterscotch, praline, honey, and a hint of cinnamon. Warming oats are balanced with fragrant notes of rose and pear drops.
Dried fruits, dates, raisins, barley sugar, leather and oak open on the palate, followed by butterscotch sweetness, praline and hints of coconut and fresh citrus. Sweet apple and pear are married with toasted oak, warming wood spice, dark plums and marzipan, with layers of depth opening with each sip.
Oak and dried fruit come to the fore, with Christmas cake notes of sultanas, fig, marzipan, and lingering honey adding to the beautifully rounded finish.
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