Bruichladdich 1988

After thirty years of maturing undisturbed in wind-battered warehouses at Bruichladdich, this golden dram provides all I could want from such a venerable treat. A quietly composed nose of saturated oak and dried orchard fruits blooms handsomely into a broad, expansive whisky, filling the mouth with fruit, wood and generous sweetness still present from that long-forgotten sun-drenched barley field. No gimmicks on display here, just the warm embrace of a charming old friend. Rob Whitehead, Spirits Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (February 2023)