Bunnahabhain 40 Year Old 1972 The Golden Cask

I scored a sample of this Bunna 1972 at the Whisky festival for Independent Bottlers in Aalst, Belgium, last April. It was released under the label The Golden Cask and I am putting it head-to-head with the Bunna 1973 from The Whiskyman – a special birthday release. But first things first.

The nose is sweet on mostly white fruit with a hint of gooseberries. Some earthy notes as well, with dried grass and putty. After a few moments some bread crust and stable scents appear. It is a lot less fruity than I would have expected. That improves if you give it enough time, though. Pineapple and peach appear. And it becomes wonderfully waxy. Nice.

It is oily to almost creamy on the palate. Immediately the fruit retuns, but also quite some liquorice and dry white wine. Spicy on ginger and pepper. Even a salty edge and a bitter note. Again quite nice.

The finish is medium long, dry and sweet with a peppery bite at the death.

Excellent single cask, selected by John McDougal. I would have liked it even more if it were a tad less dry. Around 240 EUR.

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