Precious old Bunnahabhain plus apéritif


December 30, 2024

WF’s Little Duos, today precious old Bunnahabhain plus apéritif

(Remembering John MacLellan)
We will have plenty more Bunnahabhains at the start of next year, but for now, we wanted to celebrate the end of the year with two very prestigious old bottlings, preceded by an aperitif that shouldn’t be too bad either. (Warehouse tasting, early 2000s, WF Archive)

Bunnahabhain 21 yo ‘2024 Cask Strength Edition’ (53.6%, OB, oloroso + 21 months Pedro Ximenez cask finish, 2682 bottles)

What proportion of new Scottish malts are now PX-finished? One rather gets the impression we’re nearing 50%, which must be splendid news for Andalusian coopers (Jerez, Huelva, Montilla, Malaga). That said, it does leave us increasingly reflective about what Scottish distillers truly think of their ‘natural’ products and the casks they employ for new fillings. Nevertheless, there are, of course, some excellent PX finishes, especially when not from first-fill casks. Colour: amber. Nose: it opens with cedarwood, pencil shavings and gum arabic, before shifting towards sultanas, dried figs and even a hint of strawberry jam made with brown sugar. One cannot deny that this is certainly modern, with noticeable fresh oak, but very well executed. With water: chocolate and coffee, with cedarwood still taking the lead. Mouth (neat): drier than the nose suggested, but also far spicier, featuring a mix of cinnamon, pepper, ginger and nutmeg that instantly evokes fresh oak once more. Sultanas and dried figs follow but fail to fully mask the pronounced woodiness. With water: similar remarks. Plenty of liquorice wood, turmeric and cardamom. Finish: very long and still intensely spicy. Red pepper, curry and dark chocolate, with a touch of orange zest in the aftertaste. Comments: decidedly modern and cask-driven, but certainly very well made.
SGP:372 - 85 points.

The next two should be less 'modern'...

Bunnahabhain 35 yo 1966/2002 (46.1%, OB, Feis Ile 2002, sherry, cask #4379, 401 bottles)

This is the first time we’re formally tasting this old expression, dating back to the days when Islay Festival visitors had access to exclusive old whiskies at very reasonable prices (and not the other way round, ha). Note that our benchmark remains the 1968 ‘Auld Acquaintance’. Colour: mahogany/coffee. Nose: I’m immediately transported to the past, back to warehouse tours with John MacLellan, bung-puller and valinch in hand. What memories! At any rate, this is a rich and weighty sherry on the nose, evoking the impression of nosing a very old ‘V.O.R.S.’, with an explosion of prunes and currants. Pipe tobacco, roasted pecans, triple sec and crème de menthe follow. A magnificent nose, quite direct, with even fewer flaws than a Botticelli. Mouth: drier, focusing more on aged walnuts, unsweetened coffee and very dark chocolate, before moving towards increasingly wonderful notes of bitters of all kinds. It turns slightly drying, but this almost becomes a positive trait in this context. Chestnut honey brings some sweetness back after about a minute. Finish: fairly long, very elegantly dry yet gentle at once. Blackberry and blueberry jam linger, with a peppermint and Christmas cake aftertaste (better use this descriptor while it’s still in season). Comments: I feel this comes very close to the stupendous Auld Acquaintance. I also think it’s time we revisit the latter soon—it’s high time to re-check some of our benchmarks. Brilliant.
SGP:651 - 93 points.

Bunnahabhain 35 yo 1965/2001 (53.9%, OB, Feis Ile 2001, sherry, cask #7159, 594 bottles)

Same comments about the Islay Festival, right. I believe this baby, like the previous one, came from genuine sherry butts rather than casks custom-made and seasoned for the whisky industry. That’s certainly what one could observe in Bunnahabhain’s warehouses at the time, I mean in the very early 2000s. Colour: deep gold—not ‘coffee’ this time. Nose: magnificent, though less dominated by sherry, making it fresher, almost slightly maritime (seaweed, brine), before leaning more towards orange marmalade and cherry liqueur. A faintly earthy touch is quite superb, followed by tobacco and a hint of new leather. Pistachio nougat. With water: almost like an old cognac now, with honey and wonderfully ripe, juicy vineyard peaches. Mouth (neat): the sherry comes through more strongly, as do the spices, making it feel slightly – but beautifully - rustic at this stage despite wonderful citrus and honey notes. Quite a bit of peppermint emerges later. With water: and there it is, tamed and gentle as a lamb, with sultanas, plenty of candied fruits, and a lovely cup of tea with dark chocolate. Finish: fairly long and spicier, with occasional faint herbal touches. Liquorice with mint lingers in the aftertaste. Comments: this splendid dram may have suffered ever so slightly when compared with the utterly supersonic 1966. Fond memories of John MacLellan.
SGP:551 - 92 points.

(Merci Thierry!)

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