| |
Residence
Hundreds of tastings,
all of the music,
all of the rambligs
and all of the enjoyable
(hopefully!)
Whiskyfun.com
Assured ad-free
copyright 2002-2021
|
 |
|
| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
June 4, 2021
|
|
  |
|
|
The vicarious Feis Ile classes
In the present day Bunnahabhain
Celebrating Islay and Feis Ile from Whisky Enjoyable Towers, with rigorously chosen whiskies from most distilleries, whereas we’re all dreaming of 2022…
|
|
We have had baggage and baggage of Bunnahabhains these days so we’ll attempt to preserve this as quick as attainable. Hope we’ll succeed and never get carried away… Maybe deal with a wee bunch of peaters, a.okay.a. Staoisha or Moine? Whereas pondering of John MacLellan, naturally, as we did with Kilchoman… And maybe not of Heineken, who’ve change into the brand new house owners, apparently. In principle, we also needs to strive our four-hundredth “Bunny” at this time…
|
 |
|
|
Staoisha 7 yo 2013/2020 (54.7%, Morisco Spirits, bourbon hogshead) 
Fairly happy with what this neat little new home is placing out. Color: white wine. Nostril: coming into a hospital, extra exactly the traumatology division. Plenty of antiseptic, iodine answer, disinfectant, a bit gin (ermn…) then reasonably softer tones, vanilla, smoked almonds, uncooked wool, simple apples (golden scrumptious), chalk, seawater… With water: as nearly at all times while you scale back younger malts, pears do come out. Additionally these whiffs of ‘a working kiln’ and extra salty drinks, maybe a bit manzanilla. Mouth (neat): good arrival, younger and grassy, with reasonably quite a lot of inexperienced pepper and salt. Extra gin afterward (ha!) With water: again to pure Islayness, this time with this lovable traditional combo: brine, lemon juice, smoke, ashes and chalk. End: medium, on the identical notes. Feedback: these very younger peaters nearly by no means disappoint, so long as you are not in determined want of utter complexity. In actual fact, they’re wonderful.
SGP:467 – 87 factors. |
|
|
Staoisha 7 yo 2013/2020 (60.7%, Fadandel.dk, barrel, cask #13000728, 244 bottles)
Color: pale white wine. Nostril: rougher, much more on disinfectant, diesel oil, paint thinner, tarry ropes… However watch this power! With water: pretty, barley sirup, marzipan, lime juice, some form of smoked nougat and reasonably white tequila than gin. Whether or not that is for the higher or not stays to be seen. Mouth (neat): extraordinarily near the Morisco, maybe much more citric, lemony, acidic… You’d guess this can be pretty as soon as introduced right down to civilisation. With water: undistinguishable from the earlier one, which is fairly excellent news. Touches of inexperienced pepper once more. End: identical. Feedback: these do their job good, if you happen to ask me, and should now be mistaken for his or her neighbours that begin with Caol and finish with Ila. Which wasn’t the case but ten years earlier than.
SGP:467 – 87 factors. |
|
|
Staoisha 7 yo 2013/2020 (56.8%, Fadandel.dk, 1st fill oloroso octave, cask #10443B, 56 bottles)
Excessive peat completed for 17 months in 1st fill oloroso, and from a tiny octave at that, let’s prepare for some heavy metallic rock and roll… Color: gold. Nostril: seems just like the octave had not been closely seasoned/impregnated with oloroso, as this is not actually monstrous. Having stated that the fragrant profile is uncommon, with some form of eggplant/toffee mixture that might go on with Nescafé, speculoos, soy sauce and simply walnut wine, a staple in the home. With water: plain oloroso, a bit mint, some tar and a few liquorice. Teak oil and walnut stain. Mouth (neat): toffee-ed smoked meats and fish, molasses, burnt caramel, roasted pecans, some inexperienced liquorice, stout… These profiles could be a little tiring however to this point, so good. With water: will get a bit leathery and leafy, with is the destiny of many a sherried peater in my e-book. Good, however not all reasonably closely sherried peat monsters end-up being Lagavulin 21 or Laphroaig ’74. Or Port Charlotte ‘bloodtub’. Or Samaroli, and so on. End: reasonably lengthy, dry. Tobacco, espresso. Feedback: nah, it is superb sherried juice, it is simply that the ex-bourbons are having the higher hand in my little e-book
SGP:367 – 85 factors. |
|
Maybe some older bottlings from the bins and cabinets…
|
|
|
Bunnahabhain 8 yo 2005/2014 (48%, Excessive Spirits, Color Assortment) 
I feel this was a peater too. Color: white wine. Nostril: you guess. A straighter, ashier, maybe even narrower peatiness, all on some smoky brine. A bit of sourdough, wool, chalk and lemons too. No-fuss younger peater with no single flaw. Mouth: completely wonderful, straight, fatter than the 2013s, reasonably extra on smoked fish, salmon, kippers… In a approach, it’s reasonably extra ‘Islay’. Pretty earthiness and touches of mint, liquorice and aniseed. Islay pastis, you are proper! Pernod-Ricard may ultimately have an interest on this, think about, Pastis from Islay! End: lengthy, contemporary, and certainly reasonably on pastis. As soon as you have received that in your head… Salty aftertaste. Feedback: very good drop. I am going to add that I am often reasonably keen on these 48% vol. that carry each physique and drinkability (reasonably).
SGP:467 – 88 factors. |
|
|
Bunnahabhain 2013/2019 (59.6%, Black Corbie – Rolf Kaspar, Port cask Radoux, #4, 325 bottles) 
Hurray! I imply, HURRAY! It’s the first time I am seeing somebody quoting the barrel makers reasonably than the wineries or bodegas. I imply, whether it is about wine you will quote winemakers, however whether it is about wooden and casks as all of them say, it’s way more logical to say the cask makers, on this case the superb French home Radoux, which I occur to know fairly properly. Now we’re coming into the hazard zone, as this could contain each peat and Port (which often works like espresso and mustard in my e-book)… Color: pink/apricot. Port, … Or blush rosé… Nostril: nonetheless approachable, with leafy peat and pink peaches, peonies in abundance, and peppered biscuits. With water: damp earth and oyster shells. Mouth (neat): we’re comparatively secure. Apricot yogurt, a bit varnish, jelly infants, cherry liqueur, pepper, extra pepper… With water: gentler, extra in step with common Staoishas. End: reasonably lengthy and reasonably good. Feedback: not my most popular type, in any respect, however I might say that is one in every of my favorite peat+Port oddities. These would often reasonably fetch 10 much less factors in my little system
SGP:556 – 83 factors. |
|
Good, six will do. Let’s discover a correct, traditional unpeated and sherried Bunnahabhain which, by the way, will make for our four-hundredth Bunnahabhain right here on WF (which does not imply a lot, actually)…
|
|
|
Bunnahabhain 14 yo 2001/2016 (46%, The Cooper’s Alternative, sherry butt, cask #1428, 420 bottles)
Cooper’s Alternative/Classic Malt Whisky Co. have been instrumental to whisky-geekery, let’s simply point out their Lagavulins or their Port Ellens that had been reasonably to be present in little retailers in France and Italy, if my reminiscence serves me properly. Some nice, nice whiskies which have change into extremely sought-after by educated lovers. |
|
|
Color: full gold. Nostril: that is high quality sherry, with delicate notes of toasted brown bread, halva, walnut cake, couscous (yep), cigars, dough, then whiffs of fumes and outdated engine. Contact of each leather-based and leatherette. Did you see that leatherette is coming again into trend? Mouth: superb, dry, reasonably on liquorice at first, then tar and walnuts in addition to extra engine oil. It is a tight, spicy and earthy sherriness that might remind us of the bodegas in Jerez. End: reasonably lengthy spicier but, with reasonably quite a lot of cinnamon. Feedback: wonderful dry and spicy sherry that transports you to ‘the triangle’, though that is at present altering, apparently. I imply, appellations and all that, higher examine that on Ruben’s wonderful Sherrynotes web site.
SGP:461 – 87 factors. |
|
Over to Angus in Edinburgh…
|
|
|
 |
Bunnahabhain 12 yo (40%, OB, UK, Nineteen Eighties, 75cl) 
I fondly recall a 12yo litre bottle from the Nineteen Nineties that I had lately and cherished (WF 88). Let’s return even additional with this outdated 80s bottling. Color: gold. Nostril: luscious! Superbly tender, aromatic, leafy sherry overlaid with inexperienced fruits, cellar should, walnuts, aged limes, balsamic and mild rancio. Old fashioned and completely charming – additionally with none trace of OBE to this point. Mouth: right here the low ABV and possibly a little bit of caramel maintain issues again initially, nevertheless with a while these identical fantastic leafy, tobacco-tinged sherry facets come by. Natural wines, walnuts, fruit loaf, sultanas and a few properly salty, resinous and earthy touches too. Extraordinarily pleasurable quaffing whisky that might kill many OB Macallan 10yos from the identical period. End: medium, warming, natural, with many dried darkish fruits, extra walnuts, caffe latte and milk chocolate. Feedback: Exhausting to be in opposition to such a captivating wee dram. It is simple to say this about nearly any outdated OB from this period, however this at 46% + can be 92 level materials by now for positive. I simply adore these early Bunna 12s.
SGP: 651 – 89 factors.
|
|
|
|
 |
Bunnahabhain 7 yo 2013/2020 (57.5%, Cadenhead for Whisky Market Cologne, bourbon barrel, 234 bottles) 
One from this ongoing collection that Cadenhead do for their very own retailers. Color: pale white wine. Nostril: apparent youth, within the type of bread starter, yeasty washback, younger calvados, grist and tart inexperienced apple peelings. I additionally discover some citrons, pilsner beer and bailed hay. Completely charming younger Bunna. With water: I discover it less complicated now, on bakelite, plain cereals, extra assorted beers and ink. Mouth: fairly scorching at first, extra impressions of proving bread, sourdough starter, blanc du blanc champagne, lemon rind and one thing like parsley dressed with petrol. You’re feeling the youth however I feel it really works fairly properly, you simply need to be within the temper. With water: nonetheless that yeasty/autolytic vibe, however richer now, supported by some white pepper, asparagus (white in fact Serge), mineral oils and a few thicker notes of hessian. End: good size and good bready richness, malt extract, bitter ales, sunflower oil, lanolin and citrus peels. Feedback: I more and more discover myself having fun with youthful whiskies as of late, maybe as a result of fairly a number of newer producers are coming alongside and making wonderful whiskies at youthful ages. However not solely these guys it appears, it is a very advantageous younger Bunna. Though, I might hazard that it might in all probability be simply as gratifying in highball kind.
SGP: 461 – 83 factors.
|
|
|
|
 |
Port Askaig 45 yo 1968 (40.8%, Elixir Distillers, 5 refill sherry butts, 1200 bottles) 
I’m ‘reliably knowledgeable’ of the origins of this one…Color: deep gold. Nostril: outdated fino sherry, banana skins, lime oil, hessian, fir wooden and verbena. Completely fragrant and nonetheless fantastically contemporary and coastal. Sandalwood, mineral oils, pot pourri and inexperienced tea with lemon. Stunning! Mouth: tender however the arrival continues to be very ‘Bunna’ with these mild nutty tones, groundnut oil with lemon peel, mineral oils, pineapple, natural cough medicines, miso, vapour rubs and ripe unique fruits with mild waxy tones. Outdated however wonderful and simply teetering on the sting. End: lengthy, fairly natural, medical, properly bitter with citrus piths, pollens, extra hessian and wee camphor notes. I discover liquorice and verbena within the aftertaste. Feedback: there’s some fragility across the edge, but it surely stays undeniably extraordinarily pleasurable outdated Bunna that held onto a powerful quantity of freshness and class. And, in all probability most significantly of all: class!
SGP: 562 – 90 factors.
|
|
|
|
 |
Bunnahabhain 12 yo 2009/2021 (52.1%, Girl Of The Glen, cask #188, refill hogshead, 257 bottles)
Color: pale white wine. Nostril: sea salt, salt cured white fish, lemon infused olive oil, white flowers, mineral salts and a few very mild wooden ashes. Trendy, pure and really exact peated Bunna. With time it loosens up barely and turns into a bit oilier and fatter. With water: natural scented smoke, crushed aspirin, sardines and a few properly grubby notes of puffer smoke and boilers. Mouth: pretty arrival, all on sea salt and malt vinegar with additional impressions of chip fats, metallic polish, mineral salts once more, tar, creel nets, wee sooty notes and charred pine wooden. Greater than the nostril prompt however feels very quaffable because of a tidy ABV. With water: wonderful salty, tarry, white pepper, seawater, grapefruit juice, TCP and once more these barely fatter and greasier notes of mechanical oils, tar and boiler smoke. Massive whisky that manages to be concurrently very quaffable. End: lengthy, splendidly salty, peppery, tarry, scorching calamari, paprika, lemon juice and iodine. Feedback: I like the stress right here between this extra pure, chiselled type and its fatter, extra oily and ‘soiled’ facets. Nice and really typical ‘Moine’ I might say. And hats off to LOTG for a sensible choice.
SGP: 377 – 88 factors.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
