Jim McEwan Signature Collection 4.1, Bruichladdich 2009 11 years old First Fill Bordeaux barrel 2009

Barrel type: First fill Bordeaux red wine barrel from a remarkable chateau in the Pomerol appellation. A small vineyard by any standard, its vintages pack a serious punch and are sought after the world over.

Barrel #4180

Strength: 61.3%

Number of bottles: 264

A classic Bordeaux combined with a classic from Islay!

Bottled in October 2021 as the Jim McEwan Signature Collection version 4.1, like all bottlings in the collection, it was bottled without chill filtration, without the addition of colouring,

Tasting Notes by Jim McEwan

Aromas - The bouquet offers a beautiful combination of everything that makes single malts so magical. Here you have a new Islay heated in the company of a cask of world-class French wine for 12 years and the result is complex, layered and seductive.

It opens with a marine opening of coastal wildflowers and flowering heather, which leads you to the subtle sweetness of Islay barley. Then you start to feel the magical aromas of French oak which impart an almond taste in harmony with the subtle aromas of plump ripe grapes.

Palate - The oak and barley flavors are superb and offer the structure and balance one expects from a well distilled spirit. Together they provide a solid platform on which the sweet and subtle flavors of wine can be enjoyed and, meanwhile, the marine openness that accompanies us throughout our lives can be detected, giving a freshness that cannot come only from a whiskey matured in Islay. The multi-layered flavors and finish are elegant and full of finesse and character.

The old covenant is still there!