BRUICHLADDICH ISLAY BARLEY 2013 50% 70CL

This is a thought provoking, uber-provenance single malt whisky distilled from barley grown by eight family farms on their remote Scottish island home. Bruichladdich has encouraged 19 different farming partners to take on the challenge of growing malting barley on Islay. What started as an exploration of an Islay terroir has evolved into supporting a community whose industry has shifted from fishing and farming to distilling. Where Bruichladdich has provided an opportunity to diversify, Islay’s farming community have responded with a tolerance of failure and risk. Acting as an unofficial R&D department, their experiences have shaped Bruichladdich’s understanding of barley growing on the west coast of Scotland and have inspired them to act for farming systems of the future. Bruichladdich Islay Barley explores the influence of the island climate on the barley. Surely the conditions on this westerly rock at the edge of the Atlantic must bring something extra to the barley and to their expressive, floral single malt whisky? The airborne salt spray that washes the fields and their warehouses must leave its mark on cask and liquid? The challenge of growing barley on Islay is no mean feat, it is a labour of love. Between wild Atlantic storms, torrential rain and the voracious geese, it is a battle of wills and the yield returns for their farmers are much lower than their mainland counterparts. However, the challenge has been accepted by local farmers who now raise barley year on year for Bruichladdich. Together, they have 16 years of harvests under their belts, growing from one farm in 2004 to 19 farms in 2020 - providing approximately 45% of the distillery’s total barley needs.