Waves was created to represent the softer, cleaner tones of Bruichladdich using bourbon and Madeira casks. Bottled in 2006, this was the earliest edition, matured for 7 years.

Built in 1881, the Bruichladdich Distillery has a legendary history defined by sibling rivalry, a drunken purchase, and total devotion to Islay. Famous for its unpeated classic, the heavily peated Port Charlotte, and Octomore (the world’s most heavily peated whisky), it is a pioneering, progressive Scotch powerhouse. For much of the 20th century, the distillery changed hands multiple times, plagued by financial trouble and changing market tastes. Following its acquisition by Whyte & Mackay, the site was unceremoniously shut down in 1994, leaving the stills silent. In 2000, independent whisky bottler Mark Reynier, while on holiday, made a drunken promise to acquire the semi-derelict facility. Alongside Islay landowners and investors, he and legendary Master Distiller Jim McEwan purchased the distillery in 2001. Rather than modernize, they carefully preserved the original Victorian equipment to focus on terroir—the belief that the soil, barley, and island environment profoundly shape the whisky's flavour. Using Scotland's last working Lomond still (lovingly nicknamed "Ugly Betty"), they produce a gin utilizing 22 foraged Islay botanicals. In 2020, it became the first European whisky and gin distillery to earn B-Corp status for its environmental stewardship and community focus. With 100% on-site operations proving its dedication to the community, every drop of Bruichladdich is matured and bottled on Islay.