July 23, 2015

Bunnahabhain again

Don’t cheap rhymes kill? What’s sure is that we have many, and I mean many Bunnahabhains to try. Let’s try to start to empty the slot…

Bunnahabhain 1988/2014 'Kirsch Gâteau' (56%, Wemyss Malts, butt, 442 bottles)

What’s exactly a kirsch gâteau? A forêt noire or Schwarzwalder? Hold on, I had thought this baby was bottled at 46% as usual, but it’s 56%. Not quite a proper #1 in a line-up, is it! But what’s done is done, let’s go on… Colour: dark amber. Nose: this is armagnac. Prunes, black raisins, spicy chocolate, coffee-schnapps (indeed), then rocks and matches, gunflints, gravel and guignolet. Or rather maraschino. It’s big and fat, and yet it hasn’t lost all of Bunnahabhain’s engaging lightness. With water: touches of earth and wet concrete. Hessian, tobacco… Mouth (neat): it’s Demerara rum this time, blended with armagnac indeed. Chocolate, kirsch (there), molasses, prunes, Corinthian raisins, fruitcake… It’s not exactly a summery malt, but I like it. With water: smoother and fruitier. Cointreau and raisins. Finish: quite long, and quite fresh given the heavily sherried profile. Comments: a sherry monster that’s not monstrous at all. Great balance, high quality. SGP:652 - 87 points.

Good, while we’re having heavily sherried ones…

Bunnahabhain 1997/2013 (57.8%, Malts of Scotland, Christmas 2013, sherry hogshead, cask #13060, 248 bottles)

I know, this doesn’t make the slightest sense, a Christmas malt from two year ago right in the middle of summer… But isn’t that some kind of creativity? Colour: deep gold. Nose: yeah, and a peater at that! We’re close to some sherried Laphroaigs in style, with an acrid smoke, roasted chestnuts, cloves, cigar smoke, and quite some ginger. With water: more ginger, smoked things, a bag of cinnamon mints. A touch of brine. Mouth (neat): rich but zesty, sharp and ‘coated’ at the same time. Lemons, smoky salt, Seville oranges, then Provence herbs, especially thyme and rosemary. That part makes it a little unusual. With water: becomes gentler, still spicy, Christmassy indeed, and there is a little Schwarzwalder – wasn’t that supposed to be in the Wemyss? Finish: long, salty, rather zestier than the usual smoky sherry monster. Comments: different styles, similar quality. SGP:457 - 87 points.

Perhaps we should try to find lighter ones…

Bunnahabhain 6 yo 2008/2014 (54.4%, Duncan Taylor, Dimensions, cask #602, 336 bottles)

Six years old! Well, perhaps we cannot ask for age statements while complaining about whiskies being bottled at very young ages (what some call whisky infanticides – agreed, that’s not very elegant). But I tell you, one day they’ll bottle barley… Colour: straw. Nose: American oak. Vanilla, Starbuck’s hazelnut coffee, fudge, maple syrup… Behind that, a pleasant maltiness and a few Mars bars. How Scottish indeed. With water: it’s the barley that roars, and we like that at WF Towers. It’s malt whisky, after all. Mouth (neat): cereals, cornflakes, energy bars, vanilla, Ovaltine, marmalade. Not bad, not bad, just very modern. With water: improves. Fresh oranges, maple syrup, a little Nutella, chestnut purée. Finish: medium, very malty. Milk chocolate. Comments: I find this baby pretty good, despite its age. But you see, it’s got an age statement, and I wouldn’t have liked it to bear a statement such as VSOP instead. Or a funny Gaelic name. SGP:541 - 82 points.

… But let’s have some older Bunny…

Bunnahabhain 27 yo 1987/2014 (49.1%, The Auld Alliance, Singapore, 99 bottles)

The Auld Alliance in Singapore is my favourite amongst the whisky bars I’ve never been to ;-). One day, one day… Colour: straw. Nose: ah, it’s a fresh one, more on fruits than on chocolate or nuts, with a solid earthy and beachy base, and only a mild honeyed background. That means than it’s rather fresher and cleaner than the ‘average’ old Bunnahabhain. What I particularly enjoy is this chartreuse-y side that arises after a while, these notes of verbena, vetiver, mustard, cherry stems… It’s a very complex one. Mouth: excellent, fruits, apples, kiwis, drops of pisco, Muscat, gooseberries… It’s all very fresh, and I especially like these touches of fresh walnuts. After ten minutes, oranges rule the whole thing. Orange squash, tangerines, a wee saltiness, brine… I find it Dagueneau-esque. Wine freaks will understand what I mean. Finish: not too long, but exceptionally clean, fruity, zesty… And the aftertaste is a bit smoky. Smoky green bananas? Comments: it’s wine-malt. So malt for wine lovers. Excellently selected! SGP:552 - 90 points.

Good, let’s have a very last one…

Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1987/2014 (46%, Berry Bros & Rudd, cask #2787)

Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re wandering throughout a working kiln! Not at Bunnahabhain of course, but these whiffs of smoked bacon, kippers and barley are just spectacular. It’s great to be able to try these earlier batches of ‘Moine’ after more than 25 years of ageing. They seem to be doing very fine! But the smoke tends to dissipate, and to leave room for lime, gooseberries, greengages and… well, anything fruity and green. As you say, kiwis. Mouth: oh yes, this is interesting. We’re having a grassy peat, in a style that I’ve never quite encountered before. There’s something buttery, definitely ‘fishy’ (smoked salmon), with a layer of salty vegetables, maybe capers, maybe samphires or glasswort. Yes, google is your friend. Finish: relatively long, with a feeling of ‘old muted peat’ that you would get from an old Black Label by Cadenhead, if you see what I mean. I mean, a Laphroaig or an Ardbeg (more about those very soon, stay tuned!) Comments: fun and unusual. I have to admit I’m a little lost here, and scoring this is not easy. You see, it’s a lack of references. SGP:455 - 85 points.

(and thank you, Scott, and thank you Keith for all your hard work!)