Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old
Somewhat underrated
0 984
Review by @hunggar
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall84
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- Brand: Bunnahabhain
- Type: Scotch
- Region: Islay
- ABV: 46%
This has a 'take it or leave it' kind of flavour profile. It's not a Laphroaig, an Ardbeg, a Lagavulin, etc. It's flavour profile might be closest to a Bowmore bottling, if one must make a comparison. However the people at Bunnahabhain seem to have gone through considerable effort to make something distinctive. If I were to describe it colourfully, I might say it's a basket of sun-baked fruit sitting atop a soggy piece of driftwood gently floating upon the Dead Sea.
Nose: Dried fruits and brine. A subtle hint of oak. Certainly the promise of sherry and salt on the palate. Quite complex and very pleasant. Seems quite mature for a 12 year old.
Palate: Mildly oily mouthfeel without being creamy. I immediately notice that the salt packs an unexpectedly strong punch upon my unsuspecting taste buds. Seaweed. Much more oak and woodiness than promised by the nose. Alternately, the sherry flavours are somewhat less prominent than the nose promised. Indeed, there are some figs, apples, cherries, wet tobacco, spices, and brown sugar in here, but the maritime flavours dominate. Finishes on a briney, spicy note with a faint hazelnut and stale, wet tobacco aftertaste. In a good way.
Overall, it seems to be a somewhat bipolar dram. I find the nose on this quite deceiving. Being a sherry lover, my senses lit up with anticipation when I smelled it. The nose promises sherry first, maritime notes as a close second, and peat, wood, and earth third.
The palate reconsiders this and offers the maritime flavours the spotlight, with a strong woody peaty character in the supporting role. The two stage hogs work together quite beautifully, but they seem to obstruct the fruity sherry notes from realizing their own star power.
Interesting dram. It's not bad at all if you know what you're in for. I tend to drink this when I'm in a bit of a mood or if I feel like taking a break from my first love, which is sherried Speysides. It probably won't please the hardcore Islay maniacs, nor will it likely please the sherry lovers. For those looking to marry peat and sherry, it works, but it's a troubled marriage. This is largely because the maritime notes are salty enough to pickle your tongue if you drink too much of this. But... again, if you know what you're in for, then this whisky is different, quite complex, unexpectedly mature, and well-priced. Worth trying once.
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Perfect choice of words, 'underrated'. I suppose it is due to the very unique flavor profile of Bunnahabhain, but I have always felt that the 12 yo and particularly the 18 yo are very underrated whiskies. Obviously not a bottle for everyone bit definitely one of my favorites!