Bunnahabhain SMWS 10.118 Enthralling pink and peat intensity

My deep thanks I give to @bwmccoy for the reviewed sample. SMWS 10.118 was matured for 9 years in a bourbon hogshead, followed by 1 year in a "1st fill" Port barrique. Distillation date: 1 December 2006. 257 bottles were produced

Colour: pale chardonnay, with maybe the slightest hint of pink

Body: medium, silky, and astringent

Nose: intense, yet high-pitched, fine, and elegant sweet barley, acrid and sweet peat and smoke, and very dry port wine influence. This is quite delicious and very entertaining. The sweet/dry balance is wonderful, and is like a vacillating kaleidoscope, cycling back and forth the individual flavours of grain, peat, and wine. There is a little oak influence if you look for it too, but only a little. Brine? That too, but only a little. This is a nose I can enjoy for a long period of time. With water added a mellow bundled concoction is formed, which is different, but also very nice. Score: 23.5/25 points neat; with water 22.5/25

Taste: the peat grows very big upon the delivery and just keeps building in the mouth. The port wine is also very strong in the mouth, but it is the peat which dominates. The barley ducks for cover, and the wood is nowhere to be seen. This is highly entertaining, and, for peated whisky lovers, a big treat. The palate moves strongly toward the bitter side, and so, is not as balanced as is the nose. Still, if you like the peaty/smokey style, this is delicious. With water added, the wine gains strength and the peat and smoke recede somewhat. A lovely and quite different palate with water added. Score: 23/25 neat; 22.5/25 with water added

Finish: the peat and smoke remain dominant, but the wine continues to be in evidence as well. The finish with water added ends in heavy peat combined with the port wine. Score: 22/25 neat; 22/25 with water added

Balance: excellent in the nose, fair to good on the palate, fair on the finish. Score: 20.5/25 neat; 21/25 with water added. Water added smooths the edges but reduces the complexity. .

Total Sequential Score: 89 points neat; 88 points with water

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Strength: strong flavours on the nose; very strong flavours thereafter. Score: 24.5/25 points

Quality: very good grain quality, though it is only slightly in evidence; good-to-very good quality of the peat and port wine flavours. Score: 22/25 points

Variety: excellent variety in the nose, neat; very good variety of flavours in the mouth. Score: 23.5/25 neat; variety goes down greatly with water added

Harmony: fabulous harmony in the nose; very good harmony on the palate, neat; fair-to-good harmony on the finish. Score: 23/25 points

Total Non-Sequential Score: 93 points neat; perhaps 88 points with water added

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Comment: as a Big Flavours Lover I am always partial to high flavour high ABV whiskies of all types, as long as the quality of flavours is good. If this SMWS 10.188 Enthralling Pink and Peat Intensity were bottled at 43% I'd probably score it at 84 points. Am I Enthralled by the Pink colour? No, it's just really a hint of pink that I see. But the Peat Intensity part is for real, and the overall effect is delicious

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