Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old

Three years ago I went on a whirlwind tour of Islay. Starting at Bowmore, they had a glamorous "clean" looking modern visitor's centre and reception greeting you straight from the street. We finished at Bunnahabhain - their visitor's centre took a bit of finding. I recall having to wander around the distillery yards trying to work out...

Score 88/100

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old

I really love well made sherried malts. Unfortunately, they are becoming more and more a rare breed. The reason is pretty clear: there has been a drastic decline in the number of sherry drinkers - fewer drinkers means less production which in turn means less casks available for malt distilleries to use to age their spirits. I remember when I...

Score 93/100

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old

I consider Bunnahabhain to be one of Islay’s hidden gems. Their products boast strong salt and soft smoke, which isn’t for everybody. But they have their own style, and consistently produce quality whiskies. I loved the 12, and was eager to try an older Bunna. But the 18 is not just an older version of the 12 yo. For me the 12 is the experimental...

Score 84/100

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old

Upon opening, there is a definite nose of vanilla, caramel, soft leather, and a certain "sweetness". For an Islay, there is very little of the smoke and peat one would usually expect. That is obviously what sets this whisky apart from it's well-smoked brothers. The palate is quite similar to the nose - sweetness, vanilla and caramel,...

Score 80/100