Tag: bunnahabhain

Whisky Review – Bunnahabhain 39 1976 (Cadenheads Small Batch)

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Bunnahabhain 39 1976 (Cadenheads Small Batch)

Region: Islay
ABV: 49.4%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Blend of 3 Sherry Butts

 

Colour: Amber

Nose: Oak, floral, honey, raisins, port, stewed plum, orange peel, nuts, leather, cocoa, tobacco

Palate: Oak, oak tannins, orange peel, leather, plum, mineral, pepper, chili pepper, black tea

Finish: Medium+ finish, mineral, musty, oak, brown sugar

Score: 87/100

Tasted blind. Initially thought this was a 20-25 year old, sherry cask, Highland single malt. I thought this was definitely old, but didn’t think it was that old.

There is a deal of oak here, along with nice floral, honey aspects on the nose, with a strong backbone of sweet stewed plums, port-like note, orange peels, tobacco, leather, all the nice “old sherry” note. The palate is similar to the nose; Punchy and bold, with an additional kick of drying oak tannins, spice, black tea, and mineral note, which I would have hoped it was less oaky on the palate.

This is a really bold single male from Bunnahabhain, the oldest I have ever tried. I would have rated this higher, if the oak tannins was a bit more balanced. I would call this a bourbon-lover whisky, due to the huge oak influence throughout. Definitely worth a try if you are into these bold notes.

Victoria Caledonian Macaloney TWA Cask Blended Malt (Speyside Blend, Highland Blend, Islay Blend)

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Victoria Caledonian Macaloney TWA Casks Blended Malt Reviews

Thanks to Victoria Caledonian for hosting the event for the Toronto Whisky Society.

Macaloney TWA Cask – Speyside (Benrinnes & Glenlossie)

Region: Speyside
ABV: 56.5%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Unknown blend of casks from both distilleries, then vetted into ex-Kentucky cask for final maturation.

 

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Candy, melon, honey, floral, malt

Palate: Lush, sweet malt, honey, butter, melon, wax

Finish: Long finish, pepper, mineral water, vanilla, oak.

Score: 78/100

Macaloney TWA Cask – Highland (Blair Athol & Macduff)

Region: Highland
ABV: 57.5%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Unknown blend of casks from both distilleries, then vetted into ex-Kentucky cask for final maturation.

 

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Coal, acetone, butter, vanilla, honey, dusty, pear

Palate: Melon, heather, mineral, oak, cereal, red fruits, wood

Finish: Medium finish, sweet malt, faint smoke, mineral

Score: 79/100

Macaloney TWA Cask – Islay (Caol Ila & Bunnahabhain)

Region: Islay
ABV: 56.7%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Unknown blend of casks from both distilleries, then vetted into ex-Kentucky cask for final maturation.

 

Colour: Pale straw

Nose: Creamy corn, ash, peat, cherry syrup, floral, butter

Palate: Ash, butter, citrus, tar, apple, caramel

Finish: Long finish, oily, ashy peat, orange peel

Score: 80/100

Very glad to see another Canadian distillery, especially when they are selling blended cask strength scotch before their own whisky finishes maturing. Big respect on not selling barely-legal whisky to the market and charging “craft whisky” pricing. No further notes taken during the event.

Whisky Review – Bunnahabhain 12

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Bunnahabhain 12 [Link]

Region: Islay

ABV: 46.8%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Container: Spiegelau Whisky Snifter Neat with some water

Colour: Copper/Honey

Nose: Creamy rounded sweetness, sherry, honey, some unknown notes(maybe is what people call brine? I have no idea what brine smells like), cooked apples, really really faint smoke, chocolate, really interesting, smooth on the nose, no pungent alcohol notes, tiny tiny hint of orange?

Palate: Umami, some nuttiness, malt, slight fruit, sherry, spice, oak, something happening on the side of my mouth I can’t describe. Nice oily mouth feel, swirls in the mouth very smoothly.
Finish: Short finish, the flavor goes away quickly (so you can drink more!), I might have added slight bit too much water?

Score: 83/100

 

Saw this on the shelf today, always wanted to try Bunnahabhain but not at the stage to shell out $180 on the 18Y, still want to buy more bottles for my money to explorer different distilleries and their offerings, this is really interesting as one of the few unpeated Islay whisky, it’s the first whisky that let me notice the coastal notes that people talks about, I like the sweetness, overall well balanced whisky at a good price, been looking for a nice summer dram, I think this will do it!