Two indie Bunnahabhain 1987

December 10, 2013

Two indie Bunnahabhain 1987

Isn't it funny how some batches/series from one single distillery manage to suddenly catch the attention of many a whisky lover? This time it's a bunch of sherried Bunnahabhains 1987 that seem to be all of high quality. Let's have two more!

Bunnahabhain 25 yo 1987/2013 (49,4%, The Whisky Agency, Perfect Dram, Fino hogshead, 255 bottles)

Colour: pale white wine. Probably refill. Nose: I wouldn't say the sherry's very obvious. There might be some kind of fino/manzanilla notes but those may as well come from the distillate. Talking about the distillate, it's absolutely lovely, firm and tense, maybe more 'islands' than other Bunnahabhains, with some brine, cut apples, a bit of linseed oil, then more grapefruits and a little leather. It's also a little farmyardy, with even distant whiffs of seaweed fire as well as drops of sauvignon and blackcurrant leaves. Really elegant and superbly self-restrained. Mouth: more fruits, less mineral and farmyardy notes. I also find a lot of vanilla, which came unexpected. Custard, slightly sour, maybe. Other than that, rather gooseberries, apples, grapes, a little lemonade and a spoonful of damp earth. Very slightly fizzy. Finish: good length. Now more barleyish. Porridge with banana slices, perhaps. Comments: I think I liked the nose a little better this time, but the whole is of high quality once again, like everything in this series. Maybe did the fino impart this wee sourness? SGP:452 - 86 points.

Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1987/2013 (50,2%, Archives, sherry, cask #2557, 233 bottles)

Colour: full amber. Nose: what's really interesting is to check to which extent both whiskies are close to each other despite a much darker colour this time. Almost like the TWA with an added layer of cigar tobacco and old Pu-erh tea. A wee bit more mineral too, with even two or three struck matches. Mouth: some big and spicy bitter oranges, some strong tea, both green and black, some tobacco, some gingerbread and a quite a lot of nutmeg. Not a typical spiciness for a sherry cask, unless it was European oak. Good mouth feel. Finish: long and very spicy. Bitters, herbs liqueurs, bay leaves and more nutmeg. Comments: a wee feeling of new oak in this one, where does that come from? Otherwise it's a very great Bunnahahain, even I tend to like them even better when thy're a notch smooother. Ha, smoothness! SGP:462 - 89 points.

Check the index of all Bunnahabhain I've tasted so far