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| Bottle | Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine [Reclassified] |
| Age | 14 years |
| Strength | 54.2% |
| Type | Islay single malt, unpeated |
| Casks | 25% first fill bourbon casks, 75% first and second fill French red wine casks |
| Barley | 100% Scottish barley, the Appaloosa variety |
| Filtration | No chill filtration and no added colour |
| Occasion | 25 years since Bruichladdich woke up again |
Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine: three drinks, three directions
Bruichladdich has built three serves that take the whisky in different directions: dark and stirred, light and fizzy, or salty and slow. Here they are side by side before we dive into each one.
The submarine from Islay: why the bottle is yellow
The story starts in 2005. The fishermen John Baker and Harold Hastie hauled a small, bright yellow submarine ashore on Islay. It was remote controlled and belonged to the British Ministry of Defence, and it stayed on the island until the navy could come and collect it.
Bruichladdich marked the event with a bottling, Whisky of Mass Distinction: Yellow Submarine. The first bottles were handed to the sailors on the pier when they turned up to fetch their submarine. You could not make up a story like that.
A follow up came in 2018, and now, 25 years after the distillery was brought back to life, the submarine has surfaced once again. You can read more about the distillery on Wikipedia.
The whisky: 14 years old, unpeated and matured in red wine casks
Bruichladdich makes both peated and unpeated whisky, and Yellow Submarine belongs on the unpeated side. It is distilled from 100% Scottish barley of the Appaloosa variety, and the maturation is split between 25% first fill bourbon casks and 75% first and second fill French red wine casks. The distillery describes the nose as honey sweet oats and shortbread.
If it is peat you are missing, you will find it at the sister brands Port Charlotte and Octomore. The rest of the house is in the Bruichladdich range or among the other Islay whiskies.
Whisky cocktail recipes: three serves with Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine
All three drinks use 50 ml Yellow Submarine. The recipes are from Bruichladdich, and we have laid them out here with measures and method.
The Sunken Sip
A short, dark drink with a little theatre beneath the surface. Sweet vermouth and maraschino bring red fruit and shine, and chocolate bitters add a dry edge. The dark cherry garnish keeps the mood.
How to make it
Stir all the ingredients with ice until the drink is cold. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with the dark cherry.
The Coastal Collins
Tall, sharp and salty. Fresh lemon gives bite, sea salt honey syrup gives a soft, salty sweetness, and soda stretches it all out so it is easy to drink.
How to make it
Shake the whisky, lemon juice and syrup with ice. Strain into a chilled highball glass with fresh ice. Top with soda water and garnish with the lemon twist.
Sea salt honey syrup
- 200 g runny honey
- 100 ml lukewarm water
- 2 g fine sea salt
- Put honey and lukewarm water in a clean jug or bottle.
- Stir or shake until mixed.
- Add the sea salt and stir again.
- Pour into a bottle and chill before use.
- Keeps for up to a week in the fridge.
The Old Fashioned [Reclassified]
An Old Fashioned, pulled a little off to the side. Miso honey syrup gives body, salt and depth, and Angostura bitters add spice and structure. The piece of nori is not just decoration: it adds a dry scent of the sea right before the first sip.
How to make it
Stir the whisky, syrup and bitters with ice until the drink is cold and slightly diluted. Strain over one large ice cube in a rocks glass and garnish with a small piece of toasted nori.
Miso honey syrup
- 200 g runny honey
- 100 ml lukewarm water
- 15 g white miso paste
- Put honey and lukewarm water in a clean jug or bottle.
- Whisk in the white miso until smooth.
- Strain if there are lumps left.
- Pour into a bottle and chill before use.
- Keeps for up to a week in the fridge.
Listen to Bruichladdich in the podcast
Octomore: Bruichladdich's Extreme Peated Whisky Experiment
The episode is in English and runs just under 13 minutes. It is about Bruichladdich's extremely peated Octomore and how whisky above 100 PPM can still be both complex and fruity.
Tips for your Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine drinks
- Make the syrups ahead of time. Both need to be cold before you use them, and they keep for a week in the fridge.
- Stir or shake, as the recipe says. The Sunken Sip and the Old Fashioned are stirred. The Coastal Collins is shaken.
- Use one large ice cube for the Old Fashioned. It melts slowly and keeps the drink in shape.
- Only making one drink? The Sunken Sip is the only one that does not need a homemade syrup.
My verdict: which drink should you start with?
If you only make one, start with The Coastal Collins. It is easy to get right, it is fresh, and it shows that a whisky at 54.2% can easily stand in a tall, cold drink. If you like red fruit and a dark mood, The Sunken Sip is the quickest to get to. And if you want to play a little, the Old Fashioned with miso and nori is the day's small challenge.
But taste it neat before you mix. It is still a 14 year old single malt, and it deserves an honest glass first.
FAQ: Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine and whisky cocktail recipes
What is Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine?
A 14 year old, unpeated Islay single malt at 54.2%. It was released for the 25th anniversary of Bruichladdich reopening and follows the editions from 2005 and 2018.
Is Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine peated?
No, it is unpeated. If you want smoke from the same distillery, look at Port Charlotte or Octomore.
How strong is Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine?
54.2% alcohol. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured.
What casks is the whisky matured in?
25% first fill bourbon casks and 75% first and second fill French red wine casks.
Why is it called Yellow Submarine?
The name comes from a yellow remote controlled submarine from the British Ministry of Defence, which fishermen hauled ashore on Islay in 2005.
Which whisky cocktail recipes are there for Yellow Submarine?
Bruichladdich has made three: The Sunken Sip, The Coastal Collins and The Old Fashioned [Reclassified]. All three use 50 ml whisky.
What is The Coastal Collins?
A highball with 50 ml whisky, 20 ml lemon juice and 15 ml sea salt honey syrup. It is topped with soda water and garnished with a lemon twist.
How do I make miso honey syrup?
Stir 200 g honey and 100 ml lukewarm water together, and whisk in 15 g white miso paste until smooth. Strain if needed, bottle it and chill. It keeps for up to a week.
How long does the sea salt honey syrup keep?
Up to a week in the fridge, just like the miso honey syrup.
What is nori?
Toasted seaweed in thin sheets, the kind you know from sushi. For The Old Fashioned [Reclassified] you use a small piece as garnish.
Can I drink Yellow Submarine without mixing it?
Yes, the drinks are suggestions. You can also drink it neat and perhaps add a few drops of water.
Where can I buy Bruichladdich?
See the whole Bruichladdich range at Whisky.dk.
Read on
The recipes come from Bruichladdich's own page about Yellow Submarine Serves. You can find the bottle itself on the product page for Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine. For more from the house, look in the Bruichladdich category, at Port Charlotte and Octomore.
Want to try Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine yourself?
Have a look at the Bruichladdich range and see what is on the shelf. Make one of the drinks, take a picture and show us what your submarine looks like in the glass. Enjoy responsibly.
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