Whisky Pioneer 

At a ceremony in New York last night  Bruichladdich distillery was recognised for it’s dynamic approach to making whisky and was awarded as Pioneer of the Year. The award was made by The Malt Advocate for the  innovative distillation programme, imaginative ACE maturation policy, and novel bottling concepts. The ceremony took place in Times Square’s Marriott Hotel in front of 2000 industry representatives, world-wide distillers and whisky fans.

Whisky guru Jim McEwan, Bruichladdich’s talented production director, collected the award: “We have the inspiration; we have the flexibility; we have the know-how.” “It’s an honour for my team and I to be recognised for our hard work. Being this innovative does not sit easy within this industry so set in it’s standardising ways.”

“We love to challenge that fuddy-duddy image of single malt and add a little magic and some excitement. Sure, we ruffle a few feathers on the way, but that’s pioneering…” “Our ‘what if?’ mentality encourages a hot-bed of new ideas, as well as new takes on old issues, all with the sole purpose of maximising the enjoyment of our whisky.”

In addition to  normal double distillation the company uses treble and quadruple distillation techniques, producing the highest strength single malt in the world. Controversial experimentation with superior quality French oak casks from famous wineries such as Latour, Yquem and Opitz has added extra diversity of flavour. This daring-to-differ attitude has been criticised as irresponsible by leading industry players. It is no wonder then they use the title: Progressive Hebridean Distillers.