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Scotch Whisky Review: Bruichladdich End of Message 19 Year Old Cask No; 525

This Bruichladdich End of Message 19 Year Old was matured in Château d’Yquem wine casks, imparting a unique profile.

OVERALL RATING

8
$310
  • Jeff, a UK-based whisky reviewer with a lighthearted approach.
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Tasting Notes

About:

The second bottling of the End of Message series of private Bruichladdich bottlings. Also fully matured in ex-Chateau d’yquem casks for a very unique example of Bruichladdich.
Appearance:
Sesame Oil
Nose:
Almond pastry, poached pear, frangipane filling, biscotti, a very floral style of wood influence – it comes across as very perfumed wood. As if it’s been stained with jasmine and Lilly of the valley. There’s even some very Clynelish-esque waxy notes coming from this, which is something I wasn’t expecting.

Some juicy fruits pop out of thi when given some time in the glass. We’ve got a little touch of drying peach, almost like a peach tea note. It also reminds me of Guarana – a Brazilian fruit drink that’s got a decent amount of caffeine in it.
Palate:
The start is loaded with caramel and richness. All of that is assisted with classic Laddie saltiness and brine. This is a little more Bruichladdich classic when compared to the 16 year old expression. The palate becomes very dry after a while on the tongue, leads with heavy salt and an almost burnt rosemary/sage notes that lean everything into a slightly more bitter profile.

There is a slightly sulphur style note hidden away within this, but it isn’t offensive. It sits in that beneficial area of making the coastal Islay notes pop a little harder.
Finish:
The finish is all firework smoke. The sulphur is much more driving and deliberate. None of those herby and salty notes remain, we just have a drying, struck match style of flavour that I honestly don’t mind – it’s very memorable – but I can see why some folks wouldn’t be a fan of this. Smelling the glass after tasting it fully is such a huge contrast in style – the nose is almost white chocolate in comparison. It isn’t very wine driven, but we’ve got some powerful flavour profiles to deal with, that I feel is very Bruichladdich in its own way. The distillery is famous for funky flavour profiles and this fits in very well to that.
Comments:
I dig this, and I’m not a huge lover of wine cask whiskies. I think the lack of sweetness compared to the nose across the palate and finish make this such a unique expression, and a little more powerful when compared to the 16 year old sister bottling.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Pete "Jeff Whisky" Jeffery

Based in the South West of the UK, Jeff brings an irreverent and laid-back approach to whisky reviewing, dispelling any notions of snobbery surrounding the spirit. With a genuine enthusiasm for exceptional drams, he often embraces the whimsical side of whisky. Jeff's tongue-in-cheek whisky content has earned him recognition in the Malt Whisky Yearbook, and he has contributed articles and reviews to numerous whisky platforms.

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