Bruichladdich Greener Still Is a Whisky Made From Three Barley Strains
Islay distillery Bruichladdich is known for its focus on highlighting terroir in whisky, producing single malts made from barley grown in specific regions of Scotland, and sometimes grown at single farms on the island it calls home. The latest release, Greener Still, continues this philosophy as it’s made from organic, biodynamic, and Bere barley sourced from different areas in the U.K.—and for the first time, some of that barley comes from England instead of Scotland.
The new whisky is a 15-year-old single malt called Greener Still, and it’s the third release in a series meant to celebrate the distillery’s 25th anniversary following Yellow Submarine III and Old Skool, which were released earlier this year. It’s also a reference to Blacker Still, Redder Still, and Golder Still, a series of whiskies released between 2006 and 2008 that highlighted different casks used for maturation. Greener Still, however, was aged in first-fill bourbon barrels at the distillery on Islay, a pretty standard practice, and bottled at 51.6 percent ABV without chill filtration and with no added color.
It’s the barley used to make the whisky that is really the most interesting thing about it. As mentioned before, three different types were included in the process: 30 percent organic barley that was grown on the mainland of Scotland “without artificial inputs;” 25 percent Bere barley from Orkney, the far-flung island where Highland Park is located, which was grown in partnership with the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Agronomy Institute; and 45 percent biodynamic barley from Yatesbury House Farm in Wiltshire, England, which it calls a “carbon-positive” operation. The latter type marks the first time that Bruichladdich has broken its own rule of using only Scottish barley in its mashbill.
“Bruichladdich Greener Still is a barley-forward whisky in every sense,” said master blender Adam Hannett in a statement. “The organic, biodynamic, and Bere barley parcels each bring something different—texture, spice, fruit, and this incredible malt character that runs right through the dram.” According to Hannett, the use of bourbon casks doesn’t overpower the complexity that the barley is supposed to bring to the whisky. “You get soft florals on the nose, ripe orchard fruit, and honeyed sweetness on the palate, and this effortless, velvety finish with a lick of vanilla and coastal freshness,” he said. “It’s a whisky of precision and elegance, revealing profound depth the longer you sit with it.”
Greener Still is a U.S. exclusive release that initially could only be purchased from the distillery’s website (SRP $160). It looks like it’s currently sold out there, but it will likely appear on secondary websites over the coming weeks, so keep an eye out if you want to score a bottle to try for yourself.
