Our remote Feis Ile 2025, today at Bunnahabhain


May 30, 2025

Our remote Feis Ile 2025, today at Bunnahabhain

It's Friday – it's Bunnahabhain day! We'll try to steer clear of the peated ones for now; there'll be time for those later, promise – Moine, Staoisha and so on… As for Jura, which also has its day today, we'll skip it this time as we only had some a few days ago.

Bunnahabhain 21 yo ‘Port Wood Finish’ (48.1%, OB, 272 bottles, 2013)

We’ve never tasted this intriguing finishing from twelve years ago, so let’s say it’s about time... Colour: dark amber. Nose: this was probably quite a long finishing, with loads of chocolate and dried raisins, placing it much more in the style of a fine PX (assuming such a thing exists) than a Port. Some notes of orange liqueur and even Fanta, with tobacco and leather... All this is fairly classic on the nose. Mouth: powerful, rather peppery, with leather and still plenty of tobacco, then black nougat and a rather woody and austere side. These 48% feel more like 58! Finish: long, still on pepper, tobacco and leather, with a good deal of very black tea suggesting marked oakiness. Aftertaste on burnt walnuts and clove. Comments: not the easiest creature, the Port cask must have been hyperactive, in the Elon M. vein. But of course, it’s good.
SGP:461 - 84 points.

In a style probably quite similar…

Bunnahabhain 20 yo 2004/2024 (61%, Signatory Vintage for LMDW, Foundations, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt, cask 800190, 510 bottles)

Colour: coffee. Nose: now this is amusing, it’s fruitier, less of a ‘dry sherry’ style than the official Port-matured version, yet remains thoroughly classic, on walnut cake, dark chocolate, a touch of candied cherry and orange zest… and quite a bit of ethanol. So then… With water: struck flint, a little charcoal, shoe polish, and mountains of walnuts. We do love walnuts. Mouth (neat): very rich, spicy, creamy, on ginger, clove, cumin, espresso and cracked pepper. With water: a few mineral touches (cement), then a superb combo of green pepper, black pepper, very dark chocolate and Turkish coffee. Finish: long, dry, rather herbal, with walnuts still calling the shots. Mint chocolate in the aftertaste (After Eights). Comments: this is really very oloroso, very dry, very classic, flawlessly executed.
SGP:361 - 88 points.

Bunnahabhain 31 yo 1991/2023 (45.4%, Casky, Finest Selection Series I, 5th Anniversary, hogshead, cask #5400)

Colour: amber. Nose: oh lovely, the fruitiest of the lot at this stage, with a beautiful combination of honey, maple syrup, milk chocolate and dried goji, plus the faintest touch of wood varnish in the background. The whole thing just clicks perfectly. Mouth: we’re edging towards the Signatory style, but with added sweetness, raisins, assorted fruit liqueurs, orange and cherry liqueur, then back to maple syrup and honey as on the nose. It all comes together quite effortlessly, which of course is a virtue in itself. Finish: fairly long, drier, slightly saline, chocolatey, with black tea, but the orange and raisins (and goji) set things back on track. Spot on. Comments: stunning sherry, no question, all the more so as it’s been quite some time since I last tasted one of these splendid 1991s. Perfect, meaning...
SGP:561 - 90 points.

A little fourth to finish off… square.

Bunnahabhain 15 yo 2008/2024 (54.6%, Duncan Taylor, Single Cask Collection, sherry, cask #38551198, 711 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: a lighter style of sherry, and thus more Bunnahabhain character, on citrus, honey and a discreet coastal breeze. Plenty of praline and blond turrón. With water: malt, ale, oranges, honey – what more could one ask for? Mouth (neat): very, very good, distinguished, on citrus and honey, with those maritime touches returning. No need for literary flourishes (literary?), this is just excellent. With water: superb, with very subtle salty and coastal nuances, not far from tinned sardines. After all, there is a fisherman on the official label, isn’t there? We agree, perhaps he’s not a fisherman but rather any sailor ‘westering home’... Finish: long, even saltier, quite remarkable. Comments: to be honest, it also feels like there’s a wee touch of peat, though I wouldn’t bet the house on it. In any case, an excellent selection by Duncan Taylor.
SGP:552 - 89 points.

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