Often overshadowed by the distilleries on the south coast, Bunnahabhain can deliver some glorious whisky and they did still have some good old stuff tucked away the last time I was there...
Bunnahabhain from medium to heavy active sherry casks can be incredibly delicious (actually preferring the medium and refill ones). Sadly I've seen some very rubbery/sulphured style sherry casks from Bunnahabhain in casks from the 1990s... the ones I've tried from this period have had both hits an misses, and I've actually noticed a couple of more misses than hits, I'm afraid :-(
The bottling I'm about to review is such as cask...
This still doesn't change that Bunnahabhain is one of the most beautiful places on Islay and I go there every time I'm on Islay...
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| Bunnahabhain bay and distillery, October 8th 2008 © The Malt Desk |
Colour is light amber
Nose:
Heavy musty sherry nose, more than the colour suggests. Oriental spices - lots of cumin, soy and pepper, but also a quite a milky/yeasty note, so I'm thinking this might have come from a Fino sherry cask.
Taste:
Sweet sugary arrival, the sulphury rubber notes - an immediately no go on my palate. Water brings it down to only a slightly annoying level. When water is added some tea, mushrooms, malt, licorice and oak bitterness comes out as well... but all ruined by the rubbery sulphur notes... :-(
A rare miss by the SMWS! and all though I didn't like this one - still thanks to GNJ for the sample!
68/100!
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