Bruichladdich 15yo Ferguson Whisky
Independent Bottling, 15yo | 53.7% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A superbly executed ex-bourbon Bruichladdich
The Pure Joy of Shared Discovery
Scotch whisky isn’t just a drink - it’s a whole sub-culture, possibly a mainstream culture. An amber thread that ties together stories, laughter, and life events. Whether you’re pouring a dram at home with family, clinking glasses in a bar with friends, or diving into a lineup at a formal tasting, whisky has a way of elevating moments.
And it’s not just the traditional settings. These days, the sociability of whisky stretches across screens and time zones. I’ve shared drams during online gatherings with friends scattered across not just the country but the planet. And then there is the infamous Thursday evening “vPub”, where hundreds tune in weekly to chat and share a dram. There’s something oddly intimate about nosing a dram while someone else does the same hundreds of miles away.
I’m lucky. I get to attend in-person tastings at least once a month — sometimes more if the stars align and the family calendar behaves. These evenings are a gift: a chance to try whiskies I might never have picked up, poured by people who know their stuff, and surrounded by fellow enthusiasts. It is whisky roulette — no need to agonise over what to pour next, just sit back and let the lineup unfold.
Some of the whiskies I’ve tasted at these events have been revelations. Some should have been BBQ fuel; yet also bottlings I’d never seen before, obscure indie releases, distillery exclusives, a thrill in the unknown.
But more than the liquid, it’s the people, it is joyful, and it’s deeply human.
Review
Bruichladdich 15yo, Ferguson Whisky, ex-bourbon barrel, 53.7% ABV
£125 and still some availability
It’s getting harder to keep up. Not just with the new distilleries popping up across every country - but with the ever-expanding constellation of independent bottlers orbiting the Scotch whisky world. They’re multiplying, but some of the output is incredible and makes you sit up, swirl, and say: “Wait… who bottled this?”
That’s exactly what happened last month when I found myself at a tasting hosted by a name I hadn’t clocked before - Ferguson. No fanfare, no legacy, no cult following (yet).
This was a corporate tasting, organised by a whisky club run by a firm of Glasgow accountants.
At the helm was David Ferguson himself - the namesake founder - who turned out to be both steeped in whisky know-how and genuinely engaging. He put in solid years at Lochranza and Bruichladdich before launching Ferguson Whisky in 2024, and it showed. His Islay roots run deep, and that connection pulsed through his passion for the drams he’s bottling. Much of the business revolves around sourcing and selling full casks, with a tidy arrangement in place to import quality bourbon barrels.
Ferguson Whisky’s debut - a 12-Year-Old Speyside Single Malt - hit shelves earlier this year, and they’re already up to five single cask releases. That Speyside 12yo just snagged a Double Gold at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Now, we all have our views on whisky awards, but for a fledgling outfit, that seems a serious feather in the cap. The lineup had some Deanston, a mystery highlander - but two caught my eye.
Firstly a 22-year-old Arran. Now I’m a big Lochranza fan but let’s be honest - I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Bruichladdich devotee. And there it was. Nestled halfway - an independent Bruichladdich: 15 years old, bourbon barrel, cask strength.
I knew - knew - it would be my dram of the evening.
And I wasn’t wrong.
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A superbly executed ex-bourbon Bruichladdich
Nose
The nose is soft and pleasant, but not that different from many bourbon cask whiskies. It has vanilla mixed with caramel and custard along with hints of heather.
Palate
Straight away you know it is in its teens. It has great balance and on the first sip - each time - I struggle slightly to pick out any overwhelming or primary taste. It has vanilla and soft fruit, the custard-like notes continue more like a creamy porridge with honey and the heather notes continue. It doesn’t have the level of bright apple or sharp fruit that younger bourbon-matured whiskies might have; everything is subtle and mellow. But there is a real complexity to it and you definitely get more and more each time you try it.
It is thick - but not chewy - and a touch oily. The finish is gloriously long; it descends into a charming level of warmth and mild spice that seems to sit on the palate for an age.
The Dregs
It is much paler looking in the glass than it is in the bottle; in the glass it looks genuinely bourbon barrel straw like.
Now, I’ll admit — the Bruichladdich 18 Re/Define distillery release was almost certainly my whisky of 2024. And, as I nurse the final pours of bottle number two, it’s probably holding onto that title well into 2025. It’s a stunner: layered, elegant, and a wee bit funky. But at £150 a bottle, it’s also a bit of a wallet bruiser. A dram to savour, not splash.
As a single bourbon cask, this IB doesn’t have the sherry cask element that the Re/Define does. It’s marginally younger, sure, and it doesn’t have the same fruitcake aspect as the Re/Define. But it’s still a banger. Full stop. Is it worth the £100 I paid? Absolutely. Would I pay the full £125? Aye, I think I would. It’s got backbone, brightness, and that unmistakable Bruichladdich swagger — all delivered with indie bottler honesty.
There’s something magical about tastings — the variety of the random whisky fan, the communal swirl of opinions, the shared silence after a good sip, the joy of finding something unexpected.
I’m not sure I’d ever have found this whisky without attending that tasting. And for that, I’m grateful. It’s a cracking bottling; a reminder that great whisky doesn’t always come with a big name or a glossy label. Sometimes it comes from a new name — Ferguson as it turns out — and a quiet moment in a tasting room, when the glass catches the light just right and the dram sings us its song.
Score: 8/10
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