In full flight

Glasgow’s Whisky Club is privileged to have among its members a number of people who actually work in the whisky industry, and I consider it to be a compliment to the club that they feel comfortable enough to join us.

David Kier is one such creature and his Bruichladdich night at the end of February was the usual mix of political punditry, slightly indiscreet revelations about the state of the business and a handful of great drams.

Our tasting night differed slightly from usual since we started the evening, not with a dram, but with a gin. A new gin, in fact, made by Bruichladdich. The Botanist contains 32 botanicals, many from Islay itself and it was a fragrant, drinkable gin at a satisfying 46%.

We moved into more familiar territory with a head to head of the original Organic Multi-vintage (No Age Statement to you and me) versus the Organic 2003. Both sat at 46% and split the club members. Half preferred the first, while half plumped for the second. No accounting for taste was the verdict. By both sides. At both sides.

The Black Art 2 was next up at 51%, followed by the PV Multi-Vintage, at 46%. We ended David’s samplings with the Octomore Orpheus, at a brute-strength 61%.

Surprise of the night was an old ‘laddich from Gordon and MacPhail. The 1969 expression was bottled in 2000 at 52.5% and rescued from the flooded basement of an off sales in Great Western Road by Master Scrounger Ian Black.

A very different animal from the current offerings, David was gracious enough to recognise THIS was the standard Bruichladdich had to aim for now, but he was confident the Good Ship Bruichladdich is in steady hands.

There is a determination to cut down the number of expressions as older whiskies produced since the distillery was rescued, are heading for bottling. On the showing of David’s samples, we’re not that far away.

bill mackintosh