Scotland is famous around the world for making whisky from malted barley.
But centuries ago, it was fairly common for distillers to also add other grains, including rye, to their barley mash.
Now, a few Scotch distillers have recently started distilling rye again. The movement began in 2018 when Arbikie Distillery launched its Highland Rye Single Grain Scotch whisky. Five years later, both the Lowlands’ InchDairnie Distillery and Islay’s Bruichladdich Distillery released whiskies that involved rye.
Courtesy Bruichladdich
Now, Bruichladdich is following up on that initial release with The Laddie Rye. It’s—you guessed it—a whisky made with a substantial amount of locally grown rye and is exclusively available in America.
Crafted with a mash bill of 55 percent rye and 45 percent malted barley, this non-chill filtered whisky was bottled at 50 percent ABV after aging in the distillery for seven years. According to the brand, the whisky was aged in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels, toasted ex-Crianza wine barrels, and toasted virgin American oak casks. By toasting the barrels, rather than traditional charring, the oak influence is soft and delicate, allowing the liquid to show its true character while adding subtle notes of coconut, caramel, and vanilla.
It’s worth noting that, as per the Scotch Whisky Association’s guidelines, Laddie Rye technically qualifies as a single grain Scotch whisky. These typically floral, light-bodied whiskies must be produced at a single distillery in Scotland, like their single malt counterparts. However, unlike single malts, single grain whiskies are typically produced using column stills, and can contain both malted and unmalted cereal grains, including corn, wheat, rye, barley, or a combination thereof.
The Laddie Rye Tasting Notes
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While the signature Bruichladdich profile is characterized by citrus-forward and floral flavors, the use of Islay-grown rye is said to bring more spicy notes into the glass. The Laddie Rye has a bouquet of ginger, clove, and nutmeg on the nose, followed by cracked black pepper on the palate with undercurrents of honey, vanilla, and citrus.
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Bruichladdich may not be the only distillery in Scotland producing single grain rye whisky, but it's both the only distillery doing so on Islay and the only one growing rye on the island. Since 2017, Bruichladdich has been working with farmer Andrew Jones of Islay’s Coull Farm to cultivate the grain, which also makes for a great rotational crop that benefits regenerative agriculture and soil health. As such, Jones has reportedly cut down his use of artificial pesticides and fertilizers by 30 percent since he began working with rye. Essentially, it’s a win-win for both sustainability and flavor experimentation.
“This whisky couldn’t be more ‘Islay,’” Bruichladdich master blender Adam Hannett said in a press release. “Every single aspect of its creation, from growing and harvesting the rye right through to its final bottling, has been done on our island home. Experimenting and pushing boundaries is at the heart of what we do, and The Laddie Rye perfectly embodies that spirit.”
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The Laddie Rye Price and Availability
The Laddie Rye is now exclusively available in America for a suggested retail price of $60 for a 750 mL bottle. This is a limited-edition release, so fans of Bruichladdich, rye, or simply experimental whiskies should be on the lookout now if they want to secure a bottle.
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