Bunnahabhain 1997 'Barbecue Smoke' Wemyss for The Nectar

Independent Bottler Wemyss has already bottled more than 20 casks of Bunnahabhain. This week I will put no less than 5 of these in a row, starting with this bottling for Belgium selected by The Nectar. This 17 Year Old is named ‘Barbecue Smoke’, which leaves little to the imagination. I think I am in for a treat.

The nose is quite umami. Hearty smells of smoked bacon the the BBQ (there you have it), something that makes me think of a rusty fence and even a drop of blood. Does not sound good? I smells quite wonderful, I assure you. Underneath I get a bit of fruit in the guise of sultanas and dades, but littles else. The hearty scents are just too strong. The BBQ is prevalent on the nose and makes me long for the sun so I can light my own. But this nose? Good, very good indeed.

The arrival is somewhat light. Could do with more body. But now it is not only umami, but mostly medicinal and offering even more BBQ. It is a bit dirty on the palate. Crunchy, if you know what I mean. I can almost chew it. Smoky with ashes and some tar. Midpalate it gets a bit sweet – I cannot shake the impression that this was a sherry cask.

The finish is fairly long. Next to the smoke, it also get quite sweet: figs, dades and oranges.

Good stuff. I wonder how it would have tasted at cask strength.

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