So the theme of Ukrainian Whisky Connoisseurs Club April gathering was exploring Bunnahabhain distillery (mainly through independent bottlings).
The whole set-up:
Bunnahabhain 12 yo Small batch distilled 46.3% - actually I don't know the difference between "Small batch distilled" and "ordinary" 12 yo 46.3% except for this line appearing on a label in 2017.
Nose: elegant start on nuts and sea salt, touch of peat, chocolate, barley, oranges and caramel. After 15-20 min whiffs of burnt matches and hint of sulphur appear, but not repulsive ones.
Taste: quite oily on oranges, nuts, pepper and spices. Chocolate and cherries as well.
Finish: good length, salt, berries, spices and chocolate.
Overall: very nice for standard 12 yo expression and very decent price of EUR 40-50.
Score = 21.5 21.5 21.5 21.5, 86/100!
Bunnahabhain 13 yo A. D. Rattray cask #3056 57.7% - matured in bourbon hogshead, 301 bottles released.
Nose: creamy, high ABV isn't too obvious, with time unfolds into grass, lollipops and lemonade.
Taste: sweet burst of yellow fruits that evolves into salty dryness. Very good.
Finish: medium-long, salty and citrusy, notch less complex that in 12 yo.
Overall: great taste, but I liked nose and finish in 12 yo notch better.
Score = 21 23 21 21, 86/100!
Bunnahabhain 25 yo 1989/2014 Hart Brothers 51.4% - usually Hart bottlings are good, though "Fide sed vide" they said in Rome.
Nose: quite refined, meadows of fresh grass, gardens of apples and sea air.
Taste: powerful one, salt and lemonade, barley sweetness.
Finish: long, salty with a hint of smoke and oak.
Overall: perhaps in Bunnas the age does matter :)
Score = 21 23 22 22, 88/100!
Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1989/2016 Dram Senior 40.3% - still not on WB.
Nose: subtle, pharmacy herbs, hint of sulphur after a while.
Taste: quite hollow after previous dram.
Finish: medium-long on salt and lemons.
Overall: well, at this age it might have been better.
Score = 21 20 20 21, 82/100!
Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1990/2017 Wemyss 46% - "Herb and Lime Salsa" written on label (sort of SMWS labeling).
Nose: elegant, creamy and grassy, lots of lemons (so the label is correct), dried herbs and flowers.
Taste: rounded and mellow on lemons and cream. Some soft spices also.
Finish: long and salty, pepper and oak
Overall: perfect summer sippable malt.
Score = 22 21 22 22, 87/100!
Bunnahabhain 30 yo 1987/2017 Maltbarn #68 for Bottleggers 48.7% - good old friend which was described here, same score of 92/100 tonight and I also found some blooming roses in empty glass after 30 min. which I didn't notice before.
Bunnahabhain 40 yo 1975/2015 Douglas Laing cask #DL10704 XOP 51% - matured in a refill butt, 258 bottles released (why so few?..).
Nose: subtle and floral, lots of perfume, warm lemonade, pinch of salt.
Taste: good structure, oak, barley, salt, citrus and spices.
Finish: medium-long, fresh, salty and oaky.
Overall: very good old Bunna, though 30 yo Maltbarn is head above.
Score = 22.5 22.5 22 22, 89/100!
Instead of afterward or why I think Bunnahabhain is a great malt:
Personally I love Bunnahabhain malts. Usually people which prefer Islay whiskies are fond of southern distilleries - Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. There is nothing wrong with them, these are great malts which I do like also, but I noticed that over time my taste shifted towards not so peated island malts as Bunnahabhain, Highland Park or let's say Bruichladdich. When peat is not prevailing upon other flavours and tastes you can go deeper in a spirit and enjoy work of a master blender, cask influence, character of a spirit itself and so on.
If we dwell on Bunnahabhain then my personal tips are the following:
1. Standard assortment consists of 12 yo, 18 yo and 25 yo (I presume that we can not perceive new 40 yo expression or 1980 Canasta finish as a standard malts) and number of NAS releases with unpronounceable names. Some of them are quite ok. Even entry-level 12 yo is already quite good for me. Both 18 yo and 25 yo are great and frankly speaking there is not obvious difference between them in terms of pleasure you get.
2. Pay attention to different independent bottlings. There are tons of them on a market and usually they are quite good and decently priced comparing with official stuff. When you find Bunnahabhain over 20 yo and price is ok for you - grab it. Bourbon expressions will tend towards grass, lemonade, lollipops and salt, sherry expressions usually tend towards honey, nuts, salt, yellow and/or dark fruits.
3. If there is a possibility - try older official releases bottled in 1990s - beginning of 2000s. We did such a tasting in 2017 and that was gorgeous experience, you get flavour and taste profiles which are quite different from modern releases.
Nose: elegant start on nuts and sea salt, touch of peat, chocolate, barley, oranges and caramel. After 15-20 min whiffs of burnt matches and hint of sulphur appear, but not repulsive ones.
Taste: quite oily on oranges, nuts, pepper and spices. Chocolate and cherries as well.
Finish: good length, salt, berries, spices and chocolate.
Overall: very nice for standard 12 yo expression and very decent price of EUR 40-50.
Score = 21.5 21.5 21.5 21.5, 86/100!
Bunnahabhain 13 yo A. D. Rattray cask #3056 57.7% - matured in bourbon hogshead, 301 bottles released.
Nose: creamy, high ABV isn't too obvious, with time unfolds into grass, lollipops and lemonade.
Taste: sweet burst of yellow fruits that evolves into salty dryness. Very good.
Finish: medium-long, salty and citrusy, notch less complex that in 12 yo.
Overall: great taste, but I liked nose and finish in 12 yo notch better.
Score = 21 23 21 21, 86/100!
Bunnahabhain 25 yo 1989/2014 Hart Brothers 51.4% - usually Hart bottlings are good, though "Fide sed vide" they said in Rome.
Nose: quite refined, meadows of fresh grass, gardens of apples and sea air.
Taste: powerful one, salt and lemonade, barley sweetness.
Finish: long, salty with a hint of smoke and oak.
Overall: perhaps in Bunnas the age does matter :)
Score = 21 23 22 22, 88/100!
Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1989/2016 Dram Senior 40.3% - still not on WB.
Nose: subtle, pharmacy herbs, hint of sulphur after a while.
Taste: quite hollow after previous dram.
Finish: medium-long on salt and lemons.
Overall: well, at this age it might have been better.
Score = 21 20 20 21, 82/100!
Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1990/2017 Wemyss 46% - "Herb and Lime Salsa" written on label (sort of SMWS labeling).
Nose: elegant, creamy and grassy, lots of lemons (so the label is correct), dried herbs and flowers.
Taste: rounded and mellow on lemons and cream. Some soft spices also.
Finish: long and salty, pepper and oak
Overall: perfect summer sippable malt.
Score = 22 21 22 22, 87/100!
Bunnahabhain 30 yo 1987/2017 Maltbarn #68 for Bottleggers 48.7% - good old friend which was described here, same score of 92/100 tonight and I also found some blooming roses in empty glass after 30 min. which I didn't notice before.
Bunnahabhain 40 yo 1975/2015 Douglas Laing cask #DL10704 XOP 51% - matured in a refill butt, 258 bottles released (why so few?..).
Nose: subtle and floral, lots of perfume, warm lemonade, pinch of salt.
Taste: good structure, oak, barley, salt, citrus and spices.
Finish: medium-long, fresh, salty and oaky.
Overall: very good old Bunna, though 30 yo Maltbarn is head above.
Score = 22.5 22.5 22 22, 89/100!
Instead of afterward or why I think Bunnahabhain is a great malt:
Personally I love Bunnahabhain malts. Usually people which prefer Islay whiskies are fond of southern distilleries - Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. There is nothing wrong with them, these are great malts which I do like also, but I noticed that over time my taste shifted towards not so peated island malts as Bunnahabhain, Highland Park or let's say Bruichladdich. When peat is not prevailing upon other flavours and tastes you can go deeper in a spirit and enjoy work of a master blender, cask influence, character of a spirit itself and so on.
If we dwell on Bunnahabhain then my personal tips are the following:
1. Standard assortment consists of 12 yo, 18 yo and 25 yo (I presume that we can not perceive new 40 yo expression or 1980 Canasta finish as a standard malts) and number of NAS releases with unpronounceable names. Some of them are quite ok. Even entry-level 12 yo is already quite good for me. Both 18 yo and 25 yo are great and frankly speaking there is not obvious difference between them in terms of pleasure you get.
2. Pay attention to different independent bottlings. There are tons of them on a market and usually they are quite good and decently priced comparing with official stuff. When you find Bunnahabhain over 20 yo and price is ok for you - grab it. Bourbon expressions will tend towards grass, lemonade, lollipops and salt, sherry expressions usually tend towards honey, nuts, salt, yellow and/or dark fruits.
3. If there is a possibility - try older official releases bottled in 1990s - beginning of 2000s. We did such a tasting in 2017 and that was gorgeous experience, you get flavour and taste profiles which are quite different from modern releases.
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