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Bunnahabhain 2004 ‘Single Cask Seasons – Spring 2016′ (SV)

Christopher Hayn — Fri, 27 May 2016 19:06:21 +0000

Bunnahabhain has its open day at the Feis Ile, so why not have some Bunna today, right? Again, I don’t have an official Feis Ile bottling at hand, so I settled with this one.

Single Cask Seasons is a bottling series from independent bottler Signatory Vintage for Kirsch Whisky Import. The goal of this series is to find a whisky that matches the season of the year. This time they bottled a 11 year old Bunnahabhain, matured in a 1st Fill Sherry Butt.

Facts

Name:	Bunnahabhain 2004 ‘Single Cask Seasons – Spring 2016′
Bottler:	Signatory Vintage
Bottling Series:	Single Cask Seasons
Bottled for:	Kirsch Whisky Import
Distilled:	April 2004
Bottled:	March 2016
Age:	11 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Bunnahabhain
Cask Type:	1st Fill Sherry Butt
Cask No:	800195
No. of Bottles:	674
Strength:	49.7% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Very lovely and unbelievable fruity. Cherries, oranges, peaches, raspberries and frosted strawberries, followed by caramel, hints of mint and some freshly chopped nuts, maybe hazelnuts. No smoke, but a very light maritime touch. Warm marzipan and a bit of vanilla.

Taste

Unexpected punchy and intense. Cherries, plums and spicy vanilla. A bit oaky and peppery. Cooked oranges and cherry tobacco. Seaweed and sea salt. Some smoke, but really just a tiny bit.

Finish

Long and warm. Hints of smoke, sweet fruits and salt. Pipe tobacco, citrus and wood.

Overall

A very fine young Bunnahabhain from a good sherry butt — intense, punchy and wonderful fruity. Well worth the money (70€)!

Score: very good and highly recommended (90 / 100)

Bunnahabhain 1991 (TWA ‘Circus’)

Christopher Hayn — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 15:13:23 +0000

On the twenty-fourth day of the Dramcalendar we have the Bunnahabhain 1991, a joint bottling between the two independent bottlers The Whisky Agency and The Nectar.

I wish all my readers and their families a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I will be back after the Holidays for my year-end review. New episodes will come out on January 7th.

Facts

Bunnahabhain 1991 (TWA ‘Circus’)

Name:	Bunnahabhain 1991
Bottler:	The Whisky Agency
Bottling series:	Circus
Vintage:	1991
Bottled:	2015
Age:	23 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Bunnahabhain
Cask Type:	Refill Sherry Hogshead
Number of bottles:	224
Strength:	45.8% Vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Very fruity with raisins, figs, dried fruits and baked apples. Cacao powder and burned vanilla crescents. A hint of fresh polished wood in the back.

Taste

Incredible smooth and buttery soft! Also very fruity. The sherry is even more noticeable now. Dried citrus fruits and some spices. Followed by dark chocolate, nougat and dried red apples.

Finish

Long. Mild and warming with a slight dryness. Again sherry, accompanied by nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and a bit of chocolate.

Overall

A truly wonderful aged Bunnahabhain with a tremendous amount of complexity and depth.

Score: 89 / 100

Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old

Christopher Hayn — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 16:59:20 +0000

To rephrase the old saying: You should not judge a whisky by its label. But, at least on paper, Burn Stewart Distillers (owner of Bunnahabhain, Tobermory and Deanston) does everything right with their basic expressions: 46.3% ABV, non chill filtered and non-colored.

Now if only more distilleries would follow suit…

Facts

Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old

Name:	Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old
Age:	12 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Bunnahabhain
Cask Type:	Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry
Strength:	46.3% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Fresh sea air, oranges (lots of), salted caramel, cinnamon buns and backed seaweed. In the not-so-distant background the smell of cold coal smoke, present but discreet. Hints of white pepper and honey. The sherry comes through nicely.

Taste

Full-bodied. Fruity oranges followed by sour citrus fruits. Gets dryer and spicier towards the end with hazelnuts and just a whiff of white pepper. Again some cold coal smoke.

Finish

Pretty long. Warming with a lot of malt and just a bit of peppery oak. Bitter oranges stewed with lemon salt.

Overall

Rich, complex, and varied – this is a good step above the usual 10 to 12 year old basic expressions out there. This is simply one of those standards you always come back for more.

Score: 87 / 100