Most whiskies are shaped by the cask. This one was shaped by the soil. A windswept field on Orkney, a farm in Wiltshire where the sowing follows the moon, and organic fields on the Scottish mainland. Three barleys, fifteen years, one first fill bourbon barrel at a time.
Expert description
Bruichladdich Greener Still 15 year is an unpeated Islay Single Malt Whisky, matured for its entire life in 1st fill bourbon casks and bottled at 51.6%.
It's part of Bruichladdich's 25th Anniversary Limited Release and the third anniversary bottling of 2026, following Old Skool and Yellow Submarine III. It was launched in August 2026. It's also the fourth chapter of the Still series, which the distillery hadn't touched in almost 20 years. Back then, Blacker Still, Redder Still and Golder Still were all about the casks. This time the barley takes the lead.
The recipe is 45% biodynamic barley, 30% organic barley and 25% Bere. The biodynamic share comes from Yatesbury House Farm in Wiltshire, a carbon-positive farm. In 2021 Bruichladdich used that barley to make the world's first biodynamic Scotch Whisky, and it's one of the few exceptions to the distillery's Scottish-barley-only rule. The organic barley is grown on the Scottish mainland without artificial fertilisers or sprays, something Bruichladdich has done since 2003. The last quarter is Bere, an ancient barley variety the distillery has worked with since 2005. This Bere was grown on Orkney together with the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Everything was distilled, matured and bottled on Islay, and Islay spring water was used to bring the whisky down to bottling strength. The 1st fill bourbon casks bring vanilla and a soft sweetness without taking over, so the barley stays in front: florals, ripe fruit and a rich, malty body. Master Blender Adam Hannett puts it simply: each of the three parcels brings something different, whether that's texture, spice or fruit.
The bottle is opaque green, and it doesn't come in a tin. That's a deliberate choice to cut down on packaging.
Tasting notes
Nose
Lavender and honeysuckle up front, followed by pear, baked apple with cinnamon and a hint of lightly toasted oak. Leave it in the glass for a while and you'll get apricot and a touch of dry grass.
Palate
Soft, almost creamy. Ripe pear, malt and honey with a sharp flash of citrus. Caramel with a hint of chocolate in the middle, then a pinch of pepper that reminds you it's 51.6%.
Finish
Velvety and fairly long. Vanilla, dry oak spice and a fresh, salty coastal note at the very end.
Specifications
Name: Bruichladdich Greener Still 15 year
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 51.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Edition: 25th Anniversary Limited Release, fourth release in the Still series
Flavour profile
Floral · Fruity · Honeyed · Vanilla · Unpeated
Investment potential
Medium. It's a limited 15 year old anniversary release that brings back a series collectors already know, and it sold out on the distillery's own web shop shortly after launch. The number of bottles hasn't been published, so it's hard to say how scarce it will become.
Did you know?
In 2020 Bruichladdich became the first Scotch Whisky distillery to be certified as a B Corp. It's an independent standard that measures how a company treats its staff, its community and the environment. In a way, Greener Still is that certificate in a bottle.
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