Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012

Profile: The Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012 at a glance

• 100% Bere Barley, grown by the Agronomy Institute of Orkney College (UHI), harvested in 2011
• Distilled 2012, Single Vintage, aged for 10 years in first-fill American oak exBourbon Casks (a mix of Jim Beam-, Jack Daniel's-, Buffalo Trace- and Clermont Springs-Casks)
• Bottled with pure Islay spring water, no color additives, no chill filtration
• Limited Edition

Portrait: What makes the Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012 special

Bruichladdichs Single Malt Whisky, which leads back to the beginnings of whisky distilling.
Bere Barley is the first grain variety in the world to be cultivated and grown.
All distillates were made from this variety in the early days of whisky distilling

The grain was brought by the Vikings in their longboats from Mesopotamia in the Near East via the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea to Norway, the Orkney Islands and finally to the Hebrides in the west of Scotland.

Agricultural scientists from the Agronomy Institute, UHI, have managed to save this robust and flavorful barley variety from extinction. This is how the grain variety "Bere" was brought back to life in Scotland and Bruichladdich is bringing this grain back to life Whisky.
The barley for the Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012 was harvested on the island of Orkney in 2011 and distilled the following year, then aged on Loch Indaal for ten years tires. The Barley Provenance releases have generally been bottled after six to eight years of maturity.

The 10-year storage of this distillate ensures a fine balance between a smooth texture and a malty, sweet fruit taste.

What you need to know about the grain variety “Bere”

Bere Barley - grown by the Agronomy Institute of Orkney College (UHI) in cooperation with Sydney Gauld (Quoyberstane), harvested in 2011, distilled the following year. The six-row barley variety “Bere Barley” is Britain's oldest variety of barley and was probably used by the pioneers of Scotland to make whisky hundreds of years ago. It gives the single malt an unsurpassed smooth texture and malty sweetness. In the 20th century, however, the old varieties were almost lost because the general trend in the selection of suitable grain varieties focused on maximum ease of care, yield and profit.

As it has always been a priority at Bruichladdich When it came to taste, the distillery has been working with the Agricultural Institute of the University of the Highlands and Islands since 2005 to help the Bere Barley variety regain its glory in the whisky world.

Bere Barley is a Very resistant grain, so much so that an arm even broke off in the mash tun at the beginning. It took a lot of time, effort and patience to understand this ancient barley variety and to recognize how to best extract its aromatic potential.

Tasting Notes: This is what the Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012 tastes like

• Nose: very complex and powerful - clearly citrus fruits, especially lime, plus fresh hay and green apples, floral and sweet barley malt
• Palate: clearly the classic Bere notes - grain, apple pie and warm scones, then compote and honey
• Finish: in the finish milk chocolate, gingerbread and marzipan