Today’s review of the Bunnahabhain 12 year old closes the series on entry-level ex-Sherry cask single malts and opens a separate mini series. This post and the next one will be dedicated to two distilleries which regularly bottle unpeated spirit and might be appropriately called Islay Splitters (why do I immediately think of Mothy Python’s Life of Brian PFJ scene?).
TL:DR: A multilayered, Sherry forward dram: dark, complex, continuing to evolve in the glass. One to savour through the evening
Vote*: 7.5 Very good indeed and, for the price, close to something special
Isolated and unpeated
Bunnahabhain’s history dates back to 1881 when the distillery was founded in a remote location on the northeastern coast of Islay. Its past has many common points with other Scottish distilleries. Its spirit was mainly if not exclusively used in blends until about the ‘80s, when the distillery seems to have started bottling the whisky under its name. This in itself is not surprising considering that the Single Malt trend, started by Glenfiddich in 1963, took some time to take hold in the market. Other aspects of the distillery are less usual. One of Bunnahabhain’s peculiarities is that until 1960 the distillery was only reachable by boat. What is even more surprising, for most of us who associate Islay with peat, is that Bunnahabhain is, together with Bruichladdich, it is one of the distilleries on the Island producing today a core lineup focused on updated (or very lightly peated) whisky.
The reason for this probably goes back to the association of Bunnahabhain with blends. It is likely that originally the whisky produced here was peated. The maltings on the island relied on this available fuel source, and Bunnahabhain is unlikely to have been different. Once alternative fuels became more available and once a lighter unpeated style of whisky became more profitable, it seems the distillery switched mostly to unpeated malts. However saying that Bunnahabhain is unpeated is incorrect. Most reliable sources speak of a very lightly peated malt between 2-4 ppm. That’s not to say there are no typical Islay-peated editions from this distillery. Bunnahabhain makes peated spirit either under its own releases (Moine or Toiteach a Dha) or under the Stoisha name, offered by many Independent bottlers.
Let’s jump to the review of the Bunnahabhain 12.
Bunnahabhain 12 year old
Specs
Price paid: 51.00€
Lot/bottled date: 2422826 L5 22266 (or 22256 maybe… hard to read)
ABV: 46.3%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Casks Used: Ex-Sherry and ex-Bourbon.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Russet hued amber.
Nose: Right off the bat I get a broad array of dark notes: figs and dates, fruitcake, walnuts, a tiny hint of smoke, clear salty maritime notes, dark chocolate and concentrated vanilla syrup. There are some aromas of tropical fruit and malted biscuit in the mix, playing second fiddle to the Sherry-driven notes.
As the whisky keeps breathing some spice, ginger and nutmeg mocha, chocolate and orange peel emerge and become more predominant. It takes about 30 minutes for the sherry to wind down and for a more balanced sherry& bourbon identity to emerge with tropical fruit, figs, fruitcake, mocha, orange peel and baking spices.
Taste: Medium mouthfeel, warming but not hot. Intense aromas of toffee, malted barley, mocha, orange peel. Definitely on the salty/maritime side, there is a clear savoury element.
Finish: The finish is medium with a load of mocha, then walnut, some fine oaky tannin and a lingering vanilla note. There is a slight bitterness, which might disturb some but is actually a plus for me.
Vote*: 7.5. I might be being generous and this could be a 7. Yet, if I think about the niche for the Bunnahabhain 12 in the market, that of integrity entry-level original bottlings, this is a dram that shines vs the competition, And for that, it deserves a half extra point for me. Not many whiskies in this price range I have sampled match the layers of aromas and taste. The only doubt I have is if this batch might be a particulary god one (see below why).
Conclusions
Anyone who writes reviews, even more if just for the fun of it like me, is reflecting a personal preference-tainted experience. To pretend otherwise would be foolish. So, if you are reading this surprised by the high vote I gave after reviewing the Bunnahaabhain 12, let me explain where my preferences lie. It is likely to give you some ideas if my opinion could resonate with your own taste or not. For this review and future ones.
I love nosing whisky, and even more, when it evolves in the glass, letting you stretch a single pour into an evening of enjoyment. This Bunnahabhain 12 evolves in the glass continuously for well over an hour without losing intensity or complexity and kept me intrigued throughout. A big check mark. The other aspect that makes a whisky shine is when nose, palate and aftertaste have a common cohesion, like a musical soundtrack where each song blends into the story and has elements which link each previous moment (or tasting phase) to the next. The Bunna 12 definitely ticked that box too. Overall a bottle that goes straight on my permashelf.
There is one detail that makes me wonder if I stumbled on a particularly Sherry-rich batch of Bunnahabhain 12. Other reviews describe more balance between bourbon and sherry notes. While there is some Bourbon notes here, this is a much more Sherry-influenced whisky. Other reviewers mention more noticeable peat. That can be down to personal sensitivity to the smoky stuff but again might indicate batch variation. Potentially I got batch lucky, so a lot to lot comparison is certainly on the cards for the future. Stay tuned for Bunnahabhain 12 vs Bunnahabhain 12 – coming to you at some point in the future.
I always find it interesting, after writing my tasting notes, to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the Bunnahabhain 12 years old I enjoyed:
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