Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich, established in 1881 by the Harvey brothers, is a renowned distillery located on the Isle of Islay. For years, it was the preferred choice of the locals, even though it was unpeated, dispelling the assumption that Islay residents exclusively favored heavily peated whiskies. The absence of peat smoke was not due to local preference but rather dictated by the needs of blending companies that had long owned the distillery, who also owned grain distilleries in Glasgow. Bruichladdich was, like many Victorian distilleries, primarily focused on contributing to blended Scotch whisky. Its ownership changed hands over the years, with a period under Invergordon's ownership in 1968. In 1993, it became part of Whyte & Mackay's portfolio .

In 2000, Islay landowner, Simon Coughlin and a London-based wine merchant, Mark Reynier (who later went on to open Waterford Distillery in Ireland) purchased the distillery, which had seen minimal modernization under previous owners. With the help of famed Master Distiller, Jim McEwan along with significant investment..."the old lady of Islay" was soon revitalized, including an expansion the bottling line and the re-racking of casks into fresh wood.

Bruichladdich's traditionally unpeated character is defined by its sweet, honeyed, and floral notes, complemented by hints of lemon-butter and a distinct freshness. Since 2001 however, the distillery has ventured into crafting different variants, including the medium-peated Port Charlotte and the heavily-peated Octomore. While both exhibit pronounced smokiness and robust bonfire aromas, they retain the underlying freshness and acidity characteristic of the distillery's core profile.