Sips & Sites & Bites

Black Art Edition 11, is as it says, the eleventh-annual release in Bruichladdich’s elusive, limited-edition series.

Since its inception in 2012, Black Art has gained whisky fans across the world with its unique and mysterious qualities.

You see, what sets Black Art apart is the fact that it’s the antithesis to Bruichladdich’s usual transparency, where they reveal each recipe of their single malts, including everything from cask type to specific barley varietal and provenance.

But Black Art is made in total secrecy. Only Head Distiller Adam Hannett knows the definitive recipe to Black Art 11. That’s the allure. The composition of the casks and their origins remain shrouded in mystery, as Bruichladdich only reveals the vintage, age and ABV (44.2%).

“Each year I welcome the creation of Black Art with open arms,” Hannett said. “As a whisky maker, it is liberating to have complete creative freedom. It’s a chance to journey deep into our Islay warehouses and experiment, question, and push the realms of possibility.”

Black Art 11 is a 1994 vintage, and the 24-year-old single malt was made using casks from the Bruichladdich Distillery, the barrels having matured exclusively on Islay for nearly three decades.

The distiller’s notes show the whisky to have dried fruits, leather and a hint of citrus on the nose, followed by a bouquet of rose hip syrup, poached pear, and sweet mango. On the palate, dried fruits, barley sugar, a hint of leather and toasted oak give way to butterscotch sweetness, balanced with nutty praline and hints of coconut. 

It’s as exquisite as it is mysterious. In the best way possible.

Black Art Edition 11 is available online for order at www.bruichladdich.com and at selected specialist whisky retailers. It has a suggested retail price of $549.99 a bottle.

For more information, check out www.bruichladdich.com.