Black Art Whisky is Back, but With a Mysterious Twist

One of Bruichladdich’s most popular whiskies was the Black Art series. It seemed to disappear for a while, but now it’s back. There is a catch, though: the whisky is exclusive to Travel Retail.

The Bruichladdich Black Art series made its first appearance at Changi Airport in Singapore. The whisky is part of a new, recurring range with at least three releases every year.

The name of the first bottle is Sapero. It’s derived from the Latin verb sapere, meaning to know or to discern. This whisky stands apart from the rest, and that begins with its approach to transparency.

Where Bruichladdich usually shares everything about its whisky, from the barley to the cask maturation, this time everything is kept under wraps. The only details known are that the whisky is unique and unrepeatable, that it’s a 19-year-old single malt, and that it’s bottled at 47.8% Alcohol by Volume (ABV).

The rest is summed up in the following line: ‘Every bottle a chapter; every sip a secret.’

In essence, with this release Bruichladdich has created a kind of blind tasting in a bottle. You’re missing information about the cask maturation, which for some enthusiasts is the most important detail. You also don’t know whether this is a peated whisky or not.

The distillery has, however, revealed the flavor profile of Sapero. Think aromas of dark chocolate, orange peel, and black cherry, and flavors of barley, brown sugar, spices, and a mineral note.

The first release debuts at Changi Airport, followed by other airports around the world. The price per bottle has not been disclosed.

The next chapters are already known: Propheta and Empresse, but what they will be remains a mystery.