An interview with Bruichladdich bottle collector, John Liddle

What was your first introduction to Bruichladdich?

As a family, we first visited Islay with other family and friends in the summer of 2001. They had been holidaying there for many years and we joined them. Included in our list of places to see was a visit to distilleries and we happened to pop into Bruichladdich on a sunny August morning (following the re-opening in the May of that year) and I was immediately taken with the passion and enthusiasm which Jim McEwan and the late Duncan McGillivray had for the distillery and the whisky. One thing led to another - which may sound familiar to many who visit Bruichladdich - and a cask was also bought. I fortunately and unwittingly had also arrived when the very first 15-year-old and 20-year-old bottles had been delivered and managed to buy the first bottles from what they were using as a shop at that time. I remember Jim very proudly signing them and mentioning that some people collect whisky bottles. Until that point, I hadn’t even considered collecting whisky.

What got you started collecting Bruichladdich bottles/paraphernalia?

Following that visit to Islay, it became the location for our own family holidays for many years. Combined with additional trips throughout the year, I started buying the many releases from the distillery when I visited as well as online - which in those days was much harder than it is today. It came to a point though that so many bottles were issued (being a collector, in my mind I wanted them all which I realise is unreasonable!) and I started to miss out on various releases. Around the same time, I had also stumbled over a few of the older bottles and after buying a few, I noticed that whilst many looked the same, the labels or typesets were different. Whilst each series of a certain timeline are at first glance either a 10, 15, or 21-year-old, and all the 10-year-old bottles for example may look identical – but there are differences. This could be a size difference (70cl vs 75cl) or ABV% variation (40% vs 43%) or even just a different style of layout or importers details. This sparked a ‘collective’ interest in me and from then on, I’ve tried to focus on these older, distillery-issued releases which has also subsequently included anything and everything about Bruichladdich from the pre 2000 era. I try and keep some sort of record of the collection and group them into different timeframes, more recently recording them on a website – www.oldbruichladdich.com

What are some of your favourites from your collection?

It’s difficult to select an individual bottle from the almost 200 I have now. I enjoy looking at the different styles the labels have taken over the years through the previous ownership by Invergordon and Whyte & Mackay and how these sit alongside each other. To me, it is a form of art, much like some people get pleasure from a picture (albeit it’s a picture with added benefits!) Some of the older 1970’s releases I have a liking for as there appears to be greater variation and detail on the labels. Additionally, the ceramic bottles from the 1980’s (at a time when I don’t think marketing played such a key part in releases) look good to me and still provide me with questions as to why what initially looks an identical bottle or decanter, has different markings, size or volume stated. The older Italian bottles from Samaroli are also some of my favourites. I think part of the fun with a collection is not knowing what is out there. I haven’t for example added a different individual miniature to my collection for three or four years, yet I have spotted this week amongst a job lot of miniatures at a provincial auction room, an older Bruichladdich with a label which is different. It’s only a standard 10-year-old and the whisky inside will be the same but the differences to the label jumped out and now I’ll be trying to add that to my shelves.

Do you ever open and drink any? If so, do you have a favourite?

Yes, whisky is for drinking! I do fortunately have a number of doubles and I’m currently drinking a 15 Year Old Bruichladdich issued to Italy in the early 1980’s. Presumably it was distilled in the late 1960’s; so many things have changed since that time but as whisky shows, so much has stayed the same.

Do you have any particularly fun/interesting stories related to acquiring a collector's bottle or piece?

About five years ago, I saw a bottle I hadn’t seen before: a 12 Year Old Bruichladdich issued to the United States in the 1990’s. It was posted on a Bruichladdich forum on Facebook. I sent a message to the person who posted it admiring their bottle and saying that if they ever thought about selling it, to please consider contacting me. I never heard anything at first, but three years later I saw a message response asking if I was still interested. It turns out that he lived a few hours from a cousin of mine in the States and was actually visiting their town that weekend. A collection was arranged and a bottle I thought I’d never see was soon on my shelves. The seller still works in the whisky business and was pleased that the bottle could find a home where it was appreciated.

Could you share a favourite Bruichladdich memory with us?

In the mid 2000’s, I used to visit Islay outside our family holiday’s a few times a year with my brother-in-law. On more than one occasion, Duncan McGillivray took us to the warehouses in Port Charlotte – just for a look, of course (although maybe a dram or two was consumed as well…) I remember sitting on the pier sipping a dram of whatever he had found, just chatting – lovely times. More recently, whenever I visit to check on a cask I still have, it still feels special. Having known Mary McGregor for almost all the time I’ve been visiting, it’s great to see her and the team each year.

Favourite (current) Bruichladdich dram?

Whilst fortunately there are many different great options to choose from (and I do like the variety the regular Valinch editions, including the Port Charlotte expressions), I always end up going back to The Classic Laddie. It’s fresh, it’s smooth and every time I taste it, it takes me back.

Is there a bottle or collector's item you really want but haven't been able to get?

I’ve only seen a certain bottle once in the last 25 years. It’s a green glass Bruichladdich bottle from I think the very early 1960’s before A B Grant sold the distillery. It’s a 12-year-old and is the earliest bottle I have seen with the curved Bruichladdich logo which many of the bottles from the 1970’s - 2000’s have. I know that there are a few gaps in the collection, especially with some of the Italian imports in the late 1980’s. I’ll keep on hunting!

Do you collect any of the post renaissance releases?

I have a number of Valinches and still buy those and enjoy drinking them too. I also have several of the very early releases from the period up to 2010 including the Legacy Series.

Do you sell any of the bottles you collect?
(As I'm sure we have some fans that would love to get their hands on a few!)

Only very occasionally when I’ve a few doubles. But I like to see this as more than just a collection. It’s a collection of items from a time when the distillery wasn’t as active as it is now. As with history, examining where we have been provides valuable insight into where we are today. I’m still enjoying the thrill of the hunt and look every day to see if something is coming to the market which I don’t have. I do realise that there are a number of gaps in my collection, some bottles just don’t seem to appear or possibly there are other collectors who collect older Bruichladdich’s like myself. For those who are interested, a number of the more common, older bottles do still come through auctions, and some do go for very reasonable prices (regularly less than £100 for example). Considering for that price, you’re likely drinking something which was distilled in the early 1980’s and bottled in the 90’s, I think it’s great value to try something different.

Like any passionate whisky drinker, John will tell you it’s not about the bottles - it’s about the people.

“What I have particularly enjoyed from this passion is the people I have met both along the way and those who I am still friends with now. Whisky I think has a habit of bonding people together. Many people have helped both in the UK and Europe and it’s great that we’ve been able to help each other over the years with our respective collections.”

Whatever bottle sits upon your shelf, be it a 1975 Silvano Samaroli import or a 2024 Classic Laddie, we hope it brings you together with friends old and new.