“Bunnahabhain Special # 2”
Most of you know that I mainly use samples and miniatures when preparing my Reviews. At the request of many of my readers I give preference to more recent expressions. As a result, my backlog of older samples has increased quite a bit. To do justice to those samples I will review them in the format of Specials. These specials will deal with a specific distillery like today or with specific bottlers, countries or regions. The reviews in these Specials will concentrate on the Whisky and won't touch too much details about distilleries, maturation etc. I do hope you will like these Specials just as much as my regular reviews and I look forward to your reactions and suggestions. In this special I will review three random Bunnahabhain Single Malts. Enjoy!
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Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Brand: Bunnahabhain Moine
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (Around 6 Years)
Age: NAS (Around 6 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46.3%
Maturation: Info not available. Most likely mainly Ex Bourbon Casks.
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 40-50 (January 2019)
Buying Advice: 👍😀True to Form Young Islay with a good P/Q ratio
Colour:
Light Gold (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Typical Young Peated Islay Malt. Ardbeg and Port Ellen come to mind. It's young Whisky but the overall Aroma is true to form and not unpleasant.
Main Aromas:
Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Coastal Peat, Cold Smoke, Fresh Flowers and Herbs, Green Apple, Pear, Lemon, Grass/Straw, Salted Nuts, Ashes, Tar, Soot, Brine, Iodine, Diesel, Pepper and Menthol.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Heather Honey, Caramel, Toffee, Red Berries, Banana, Nail Polish and Leather.
Palate:
Young, slightly Edgy and Light. The Alcohol is quite present. Peat, Smoke and Herbs take the lead.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Cereals, Yeast, Grass and Straw, Coastal Peat, Cold Smoke, Tar, Ashes, Soot, Iodine, Diesel, Pear, Green Apple, Cocoa Powder, Grapefruit, Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Menthol and Fresh and Dried Herbs.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Caramel, Honey, Smoked Fish, Salted Nuts, Lemon, Leather, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cloves.
Finish:
Middle-Long and mainly Sweet. Some Sour notes provide balance. The Alcohol is quite noticeable and a little Sharp. The Finish is the weaker part of this Moine. I find Toasted Cereals, slightly Burnt Toast, Yeast, Salted Butter, Cold Smoke, Wet Earth, Tar, Soot, Ashes, Iodine, Pear, Heather-Honey, Fresh Herbs, Soap, Mushrooms, Sugar, Lemon, Grapefruit Juice, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Menthol, Leather, Licorice, Wet Rocks, Diesel and a light Metallic note.
Drinking Advice:
I added a few drops of Water and that helps to calm down the Alcohol. It becomes dangerously drinkable this way so be careful! Personally I prefer it neat but you can certainly add a few drops of Water as per your preference.
Rating: 83
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5
Drinking Experience:
Good.
Conclusion:
Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881 by William Robertson and is located close to Port Askaig on the isle of Islay. It is now owned by Distell International Ltd who are looking to give the distillery a much needed face lift that will be ready in 2019. The core range now includes the 12, 18, 25 and 40 years alongside some peated expressions like the Toiteach. Total production is around 2 million litres of which 35% is peated.
The Moine (Gaelic for Peated) was launched in 2015, initially only for Sweden. There are a few other Moines around that are finished a.o. in Oloroso & Brandy casks.
The Moine I'm reviewing today is young and not at all complex but true to form Islay. The Price/Quality ratio is good despite its limited age. Bunnahabhain is increasing their peated Single Malts and perhaps rightly so. If you like young peated Islay Whisky, this is a good alternative.
Whisky Review # 791
Country: Scotland
Maturation: Info not available. Most likely mainly Ex Bourbon Casks.
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 40-50 (January 2019)
Buying Advice: 👍😀True to Form Young Islay with a good P/Q ratio
Colour:
Light Gold (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Typical Young Peated Islay Malt. Ardbeg and Port Ellen come to mind. It's young Whisky but the overall Aroma is true to form and not unpleasant.
Main Aromas:
Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Coastal Peat, Cold Smoke, Fresh Flowers and Herbs, Green Apple, Pear, Lemon, Grass/Straw, Salted Nuts, Ashes, Tar, Soot, Brine, Iodine, Diesel, Pepper and Menthol.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Heather Honey, Caramel, Toffee, Red Berries, Banana, Nail Polish and Leather.
Young, slightly Edgy and Light. The Alcohol is quite present. Peat, Smoke and Herbs take the lead.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Cereals, Yeast, Grass and Straw, Coastal Peat, Cold Smoke, Tar, Ashes, Soot, Iodine, Diesel, Pear, Green Apple, Cocoa Powder, Grapefruit, Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Menthol and Fresh and Dried Herbs.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Caramel, Honey, Smoked Fish, Salted Nuts, Lemon, Leather, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cloves.
Finish:
Middle-Long and mainly Sweet. Some Sour notes provide balance. The Alcohol is quite noticeable and a little Sharp. The Finish is the weaker part of this Moine. I find Toasted Cereals, slightly Burnt Toast, Yeast, Salted Butter, Cold Smoke, Wet Earth, Tar, Soot, Ashes, Iodine, Pear, Heather-Honey, Fresh Herbs, Soap, Mushrooms, Sugar, Lemon, Grapefruit Juice, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Menthol, Leather, Licorice, Wet Rocks, Diesel and a light Metallic note.
I added a few drops of Water and that helps to calm down the Alcohol. It becomes dangerously drinkable this way so be careful! Personally I prefer it neat but you can certainly add a few drops of Water as per your preference.
Rating: 83
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5
Drinking Experience:
Good.
Conclusion:
Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881 by William Robertson and is located close to Port Askaig on the isle of Islay. It is now owned by Distell International Ltd who are looking to give the distillery a much needed face lift that will be ready in 2019. The core range now includes the 12, 18, 25 and 40 years alongside some peated expressions like the Toiteach. Total production is around 2 million litres of which 35% is peated.
The Moine (Gaelic for Peated) was launched in 2015, initially only for Sweden. There are a few other Moines around that are finished a.o. in Oloroso & Brandy casks.
The Moine I'm reviewing today is young and not at all complex but true to form Islay. The Price/Quality ratio is good despite its limited age. Bunnahabhain is increasing their peated Single Malts and perhaps rightly so. If you like young peated Islay Whisky, this is a good alternative.
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Whisky Review # 791
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Brand: Bunnahabhain 2001-2012 - Limited Edition - 809 Bottles
Bottled By: Carn Mor (Strictly Limited Edition Series)
Bottled By: Carn Mor (Strictly Limited Edition Series)
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Cask #: Unknown
Age: 10 Years
Age: 10 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Sherry Puncheon Cask
Chill-Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 50 (January 2019) - Hard to Find!
Buying Advice: 😀 Young, simple Sherried Bunnahabhain. P/Q Ratio: 👍
Colour:
Copper/Bronze (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Young, Medium-Light and Sweet. Sherry dominates the Nose with lots of Dried Fruit. No surprises here but no off-notes as well. The Alcohol is noticeable.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Brown Sugar, Salted Caramel, Fruitcake loaded with Dried Fruits like Raisins, Sultanas, Apricots and Figs, Plum Jam, Orange, Sweet Apples, Straw, Cinnamon and Cloves.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Pear, Lemon, Grapefruit, Cocoa Powder, Coconut, Green Coffee Beans, Menthol, Cured Ham and Leather.
Palate:
Young, Sweet and a little Thin despite the adequate ABV. The Sherry cask still rules. The relative Youth of the Spirit is more noticeable now.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Brown Sugar, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Plums, Dates and Figs, Orange, Sweet Apples, Almonds, Milk Chocolate, Cloves, Pepper and Cinnamon.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Heather-Honey, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Syrup, Espresso, Cardamom, Leather, Tobacco, Menthol and a few Mineral notes.
Finish:
Middle-Long and Sweet with an increasing Bitterness towards the Dry end. A little Sharp still on account of its relative youth. The Sherry is the dominating factor right to the very end. I find Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Figs and Plums, Grass/Straw, Salted Almonds,, Milk Chocolate, Honey, Red Apples, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon, Pepper, Cardamom, Menthol, Tobacco and Leather. A light Metallic note right at the end.
Drinking Advice:
This Bunnahabhain does not accept added Water very well. Better sip it neat!
Rating: 83.5
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21
Drinking Experience:
Good.
Conclusion:
This is a rather young Whisky but the active Sherry cask and the adequate ABV succeed in masking this fact, especially on the Nose. On the Palate and in the Finish this Bunnahabhain feels a little Thin but is never unpleasant. It's too Thin to consider it a Sherry Monster but if you like Sherry-Finished unpeated Malts you can't go wrong with this Bunnahabhain, also because of the favourable P/Q ratio. The two Bunnahabhains I have tasted so far during this session show that this Distillery can easily handle both peated and unpeated Single Malts.
Whisky Review # 792
Country: Scotland
Maturation: Sherry Puncheon Cask
Chill-Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 50 (January 2019) - Hard to Find!
Buying Advice: 😀 Young, simple Sherried Bunnahabhain. P/Q Ratio: 👍
Colour:
Copper/Bronze (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Young, Medium-Light and Sweet. Sherry dominates the Nose with lots of Dried Fruit. No surprises here but no off-notes as well. The Alcohol is noticeable.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Brown Sugar, Salted Caramel, Fruitcake loaded with Dried Fruits like Raisins, Sultanas, Apricots and Figs, Plum Jam, Orange, Sweet Apples, Straw, Cinnamon and Cloves.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Pear, Lemon, Grapefruit, Cocoa Powder, Coconut, Green Coffee Beans, Menthol, Cured Ham and Leather.
Palate:
Young, Sweet and a little Thin despite the adequate ABV. The Sherry cask still rules. The relative Youth of the Spirit is more noticeable now.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Brown Sugar, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Plums, Dates and Figs, Orange, Sweet Apples, Almonds, Milk Chocolate, Cloves, Pepper and Cinnamon.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Heather-Honey, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Syrup, Espresso, Cardamom, Leather, Tobacco, Menthol and a few Mineral notes.
Finish:
Middle-Long and Sweet with an increasing Bitterness towards the Dry end. A little Sharp still on account of its relative youth. The Sherry is the dominating factor right to the very end. I find Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Figs and Plums, Grass/Straw, Salted Almonds,, Milk Chocolate, Honey, Red Apples, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon, Pepper, Cardamom, Menthol, Tobacco and Leather. A light Metallic note right at the end.
Drinking Advice:
This Bunnahabhain does not accept added Water very well. Better sip it neat!
Rating: 83.5
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21
Drinking Experience:
Good.
Conclusion:
This is a rather young Whisky but the active Sherry cask and the adequate ABV succeed in masking this fact, especially on the Nose. On the Palate and in the Finish this Bunnahabhain feels a little Thin but is never unpleasant. It's too Thin to consider it a Sherry Monster but if you like Sherry-Finished unpeated Malts you can't go wrong with this Bunnahabhain, also because of the favourable P/Q ratio. The two Bunnahabhains I have tasted so far during this session show that this Distillery can easily handle both peated and unpeated Single Malts.
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Whisky Review # 792
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Brand: Bunnahabhain 1989
Bottled By: Great Cask Series - 155 Bottles - Specially Bottled for Whiskysite
Bottled By: Great Cask Series - 155 Bottles - Specially Bottled for Whiskysite
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Cask # 5706 - 155 Bottles
Age: 23 Years
Age: 23 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 44.1% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Bourbon Barrel
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 100-150 (January 2019)
Buying Advice: 😐The P/Q ratio is Okay. Disappointing for a 23 Year old Malt.
Colour:
Golden (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Quite Light and Fresh for a 23 Year old Whisky. Cask # 5706 was not a very active one if you ask me. On the Nose this Bunnahabhain presents a combo of Fruity, Floral, Herbal and Mineral Aroma with a light touch of Coastal Peat. The Alcohol is still noticeable. Please give this Malt enough time in the glass before Nosing as it does not give itself away very easily. Patience is needed!
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Wet Sand, Grass, Green Apple, Pear, Orange Juice, Fresh Herbs, Floral Soap and Cinnamon.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Heather-Honey, Coastal Peat, Charred Oak, Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Mandarin, Lemon, Varnish and Menthol.
Palate:
Again a bit on the light side given its age although the Wood influence is more clear now. It's a bit Dusty as well. Sweet but no overly so. Quite Dry after a few seconds. A mix of Fruity, Floral, Herbal, Mineral and Spicy notes.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Green Apple, Pear, Nectarine, Fresh Herbs, Floral Soap, Grass, Orange, Pepper, Ginger and Licorice.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Nuts, Coastal Peat, Wet Sand and Rocks, Lemon, Oak Char, Old Books on Dusty Shelves, Leather, Aniseed, Nutmeg and Caffe Latte.
Finish:
Middle-Long, Sweet and Spicy with a light Bitterness towards the very Dry end. The Oak is more noticeable now. Still a bit of Alcohol despite all these years! I find Sweet Toasted Barley, Toast, Salted Caramel, Grass, Heather-Honey, Nuts, Green Apple, Orange, Lemon, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Licorice and a bit of Coastal Peat and Charred Oak.
Drinking Advice:
I added a bit of of Water and Citrus notes develop strongly on the Nose. Palate and Finish do not change in a significant way but you can carefully add a drop of Water if you like.
Rating: 82.5
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5
Drinking Experience:
Good but I expected more of a 23 Year old Whisky.
Conclusion:
This Bunnahabhain was distilled on October 20, 1989 and bottles for Whiskysite, The Netherlands on March 7, 2013. It's not a bad Single Malt but I must admit I expected more of a 23 Year old Whisky distilled in the late Eighties. Somehow it misses balance. It does not help as well that the Cask was little active. After I finished the Tasting session and included the score in my Complete Ranking Of Reviewed Whiskies I noticed I already had reviewed this Bunnahabhain back in 2014. You can find the earlier Review here. I was happy to see that my reviews were quite in line and presented an almost identical score.
This completes today's little Bunnahabhain Special. All three Single Malts were okay but none of them were exceptional.
I would like to wish all my readers and their families Good Health and Happiness in 2019. Thanks very much for your ongoing interest and support! Let's see if we can reach around 900 reviews by the end of this year!
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende January 7, 2019
Maturation: Bourbon Barrel
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 100-150 (January 2019)
Buying Advice: 😐The P/Q ratio is Okay. Disappointing for a 23 Year old Malt.
Colour:
Golden (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Quite Light and Fresh for a 23 Year old Whisky. Cask # 5706 was not a very active one if you ask me. On the Nose this Bunnahabhain presents a combo of Fruity, Floral, Herbal and Mineral Aroma with a light touch of Coastal Peat. The Alcohol is still noticeable. Please give this Malt enough time in the glass before Nosing as it does not give itself away very easily. Patience is needed!
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Wet Sand, Grass, Green Apple, Pear, Orange Juice, Fresh Herbs, Floral Soap and Cinnamon.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Heather-Honey, Coastal Peat, Charred Oak, Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Mandarin, Lemon, Varnish and Menthol.
Palate:
Again a bit on the light side given its age although the Wood influence is more clear now. It's a bit Dusty as well. Sweet but no overly so. Quite Dry after a few seconds. A mix of Fruity, Floral, Herbal, Mineral and Spicy notes.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Green Apple, Pear, Nectarine, Fresh Herbs, Floral Soap, Grass, Orange, Pepper, Ginger and Licorice.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Nuts, Coastal Peat, Wet Sand and Rocks, Lemon, Oak Char, Old Books on Dusty Shelves, Leather, Aniseed, Nutmeg and Caffe Latte.
Finish:
Middle-Long, Sweet and Spicy with a light Bitterness towards the very Dry end. The Oak is more noticeable now. Still a bit of Alcohol despite all these years! I find Sweet Toasted Barley, Toast, Salted Caramel, Grass, Heather-Honey, Nuts, Green Apple, Orange, Lemon, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Licorice and a bit of Coastal Peat and Charred Oak.
Drinking Advice:
I added a bit of of Water and Citrus notes develop strongly on the Nose. Palate and Finish do not change in a significant way but you can carefully add a drop of Water if you like.
Rating: 82.5
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5
Drinking Experience:
Good but I expected more of a 23 Year old Whisky.
Conclusion:
This Bunnahabhain was distilled on October 20, 1989 and bottles for Whiskysite, The Netherlands on March 7, 2013. It's not a bad Single Malt but I must admit I expected more of a 23 Year old Whisky distilled in the late Eighties. Somehow it misses balance. It does not help as well that the Cask was little active. After I finished the Tasting session and included the score in my Complete Ranking Of Reviewed Whiskies I noticed I already had reviewed this Bunnahabhain back in 2014. You can find the earlier Review here. I was happy to see that my reviews were quite in line and presented an almost identical score.
This completes today's little Bunnahabhain Special. All three Single Malts were okay but none of them were exceptional.
I would like to wish all my readers and their families Good Health and Happiness in 2019. Thanks very much for your ongoing interest and support! Let's see if we can reach around 900 reviews by the end of this year!
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende January 7, 2019
All Pictures were taken during our visit to Bunnahabhain in May 2014 and May 2017
