Dating back to the dawn of Scottish agriculture, Bere barley is one of the most fascinating and genetically diverse grains still cultivated today. As well as having a unique flavour, growing the ancient strain builds resilience and adds variety into barley growing, with the distillery recognising that genetic diversity is crucial to future proofing the land. Bruichladdich has been working with the University of the Highland’s and Island’s Agronomy Institute since 2005 to reintroduce Bere barley to the whisky industry, with Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2013 a testament to this complex cereal. Matured in a combination of first fill bourbon barrels and second fill Pauillac wine casks, the single malt delicately balances the malty sweetness of the Bere barley with the oak, with hints of fresh green fruits and lightly spiced gingerbread.

Appearance: Golden sands.

Nose: Aromas of warm citrus, tropical fruit, and sweet malty flour are immediate on the nose. As the whisky opens the sweetness of the fruit, oak and malted Bere barley combine to give an uplifting, sunny feel to the dram, enhanced with fragrant peach skin, fresh vanilla pods, candied orange and creamy fudge. Over time, delicate floral notes of rose and subtle sweet violet appear

Taste: The presence of the malted grain is unmistakable with notes of popcorn, brown sugar and warm porridge. The Bere barley provides a soft, rounded mouthfeel, beautifully complementing the sweet, stoned fruit notes. Apricot, peach, melon and candied orange are balanced with the gentle influence of the oak, which adds a hint of vanilla, coconut and marzipan

Finish: Milk chocolate, malted grain and creme brulee add to the soft finish, while a hint of mango and orange blossom honey linger.

Character: With each vintage of Bruichladdich Bere Barley has its own unique style. The spirit distilled from this ancient, genetically diverse grain stands apart, with the hardy character of the barley evident alongside the incredible amount of fruit and floral notes derived from a long fermentation and traditional distillation. As the spirit matures on Islay, in quality American oak barrels, each Bere barley vintage takes shape – telling the story of the grain, of terroir, of tradition, and of our progressive thinking and careful cask selection to showcase its unique flavour.

About the Brand: Bruichladdich Distillery is situated on the Hebridean island of Islay, and is home to four unique brands:

- Bruichladdich, unpeated Islay single malt Scotch whisky
     - Port Charlotte, heavily peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky (40PPM)
- Octomore, the world’s most heavily peated Scotch whisky series (80+PPM) 
- The Botanist Gin, the first Islay dry gin 

The distillery was first established in 1881 by the Harvey brothers. It survived through periods of closure including world wars and economic uncertainly, only to be closed for seven years in 1994. The closure left all but two redundant. The distillery was reopened by Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin and then Head Distiller, Jim McEwan, in 2001. The team breathed new life into the community by keeping as much of their operations on Islay as possible - a legacy which continues today. They installed an on-site bottling hall in 2003, first grew Islay barley in 2004 (now making up over 50% of annual production in 2024) and have since added additional warehousing to ensure all single malts are conceived, distilled, matured and bottled solely on the island. Bruichladdich Distillery is one of only two distilleries on the island (which is home to nine working distilleries in total) to make these claims. The independently owned Bruichladdich Distillery was purchased by luxury spirits company Remy Cointreau in 2012. They continue to invest in the values of the business, in being Islay-based, and in the local community. In 2020, Bruichladdich became the first Scotch whisky company in the world, and indeed the first whisky and gin distillery in Europe, to receive B Corp certification. In 2023 the distillery successfully completed the mandatory B Corp recertification process, scoring 100.7 points (increasing its inaugural Impact Score by 21%). The next recertification will take place in three years (2026)