So it’s pronounced Bu-na-ha-venn. Just felt the need to get that out of the way, because the name (and dear god their literature) can be summed up best by the word verbose. If we’re honest the contents of the glass can also fall under the category of verbose as well. The whiskey here is quite a complex thing – but the problem with complexity in a scotch is whether it fits the expectations and the desires of the drinker.
They really have quite a lot to say and we try to keep these things under 1000 words (on purpose) so we’ll let them get on with. First though we just want to specify that we actually like there’s an Islay that isn’t just an aggressive amount of peat and smoke. So while we may make statements and comparison elsewise, that’s purely because the objective scoring has to compare to others of the kind.
What they Say: “Bottle/Box Front: Small Batch Distilled. An alluringly complex bouquet with aroma of dried fruits, toasted nuts with vanilla, and a delicious coastal influence.
Bottle Back: Back in 1881, the Bunnahabhain Distillery was established in a remote haven beside a natural spring on the rugged Isle of Islay. This wonderful location is the idyllic place for whisky distillation and produces malts which take you on a voyage of discovery.
‘Our 12 yr old is matured in Sherry, Bourbon and Whisky casks for a tranquil balance of soft, sweet fruit and nuts with a hint of seaside smoke. This is a malt with many layers to explore.’
Box Back: Russet gold, this is a complex 12 Year Old with hidden depths. Aromatic fruity floral scents with the most subtle hints of smoke prepare the palate for sweet fruit and nuts with a vanilla and caramel finale. ~Andrew Brown Distillery Manager
On the remote north-eastern coastline of the enchanting Isle of Islay lies Bunnahabhain Distillery. The warming oceanic winds which sweep across the Sound of Islay and through the rugged landscape to the distillery, help cocoon the casks as they mature into distinctive malts. The idyllic location of Bunnahabhain (pronounced Bu-na-ha-venn and meaning ‘mouth of the river’ in Gaelic) was discovered in 1881 when the only real way to access this isolated corner of the island was by sea. Today the adventurous will still be rewarded by discovering the many subtle layers of this welcoming malt.
Tasting Notes
Colour: russet gold.
Nose: fresh and aromatic, fruity floral with hints of dried fruit and a subtle prevalence of smoke.
Palate: light with fruit notes, nutty flavours with a sweetness and slight hints of vanilla and caramel.
Finish: lingering, beautifully rich and full bodied.”
Taste: 6.0 – That is very sweet at first glance for a scotch let alone a 12 year islay scotch. Really all you get at first is caramel and sugar. It’s not bad, but nowhere near what you’d typically expect.
Aftertaste: 8.0 – There that dried fruit, the smoke, some of the woodiness, the sherry – really most of the flavor comes into play. Add a long lingering spiced sort of aftertaste and you begin to make sense of this scotch which has for the most part seemed confused. If you like the above medley of flavor, and something complex this is quite nice here.
Burn/Smooth: 6.0 – There’s a tingle on your lips of a kick, but to be honest this falls under the category of – not burning, but not exactly smooth to sip.
Aroma: 6.0 – The most notable thing you are going to smell here is a bit of that sherry casking, and dried fig. Now they do say fruit, but fail to mention – but that’s well enough. The problem is that unless you one of the few who prefer sherry casked scotches the smell here isn’t exactly enticing, and despite 12 years of age it still feels very sharp.
Honesty: 6.0 – Well they certainly had a lot to say (we lucked out being able to find the text so thankfully we didn’t have to write out ourselves). As for it – what a load of spunk. Sure we’d normally be glad to award points for something things – like actually being sweet, dried fruit, lingering aftertaste. However, when you put all of that on there with the most important thing being how you actually pronounce the mouthful of a name – well they get dinged quite a bit.
Mixability: 6.5
W/ Rocks: 6.5 – It’s interesting. Of course it seeks to meld the flavors more. You get that sweetness in the mix, there’s less sherry bite, but also there’s a fair amount more smoke. It’s certainly a delicious and complex whiskey on ice – but it doesn’t feel like most Islay’s, and more importantly it’s preferable to have that odd medley of an aftertaste when neat then crammed together like this.
Value: 4.0 – With all 6’s and an 8 across the board you’d think maybe at an actually respectable price of under $60 it would be worthy of a deal here (not a superb one, but still). Sadly for them we have to contend with the elephant in the room. If one were to buy such a scotch – sure it would taste nice, they’d likely enjoy it, and wouldn’t feel cheated out of their money. However, would you recommend this to someone else to buy, and the answer is really – no. The subset of scotch drinkers where Bunnahabhain would be their dram of choice is just so narrow to understand from another person’s perspective.
Google Shop Average: $58
Website: https://bunnahabhain.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 5.0
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Metric Score: 42.5/70 |+| Metric Average: 6.07 |+| Reviewer Average: 5.0
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Final Thoughts: At the end of the day – this is a good scotch. If we were to say anything of Bunnahabhain it would be, try it at a bar first without then with a single ice cube. See if maybe this is your jam. If there’s one thing we maintain in life it’s the mindset that there is a beer, a wine, and a whiskey for everyone – the trick is finding it. Maybe this is your whiskey – even if you don’t typically like whiskey. Personally the sherry adds a twinge too much bite for me, but for you dear reader – maybe?
