Bunnahabhain 16 Year Old 1997 Malts of Scotland

The label of this MoS bottling is completely for Christmas with a tree and the words Christmas 2013 – Peated on it. So we are expecting a pretty peaty Bunna on sherry. Get ready.

A good, somewhat dry but at the same time creamy, bittersweet nose on roasted nuts, raisins and plums. Some pine needles. Ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Twig of mint. Salty edge. Smoke from the wood and the peat. Shoe shine and balm. Very pleasant.

On the palate, it is big from the get-go, with ashes and soot to no end. I had not expected this after the rather sweet nose. The sweetness is now supplanted by the peat that gives it a tarry, leathery dimension. The spices are much louder as well. The fruit is now oranges and grapefruit. Chestnut too.

On the long, sweet finish, nutmeg and cinnamon take all the credit.

Hmm, a truly enjoyable whisky for those who love sherry and peat monsters. Around 99 EUR.

Find where to buy Bunnahabhain whisky