The fantastic flagship from Bunnahabhain (pronounced boo-na-ha-ven), launched as the distillery's original single malt in 1979, this Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old. It is aged in a mixture of bourbon and sherry casks and, since a relaunch in 2010, has been bottled at a big 46.3% ABV without chill-filtration or additional colouring. Very impressive. Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old is unpeated, unlike most Islay whisky, but has a beautiful coastal quality complemented by its fruity, light, sweet and nutty character. It’s one of those whiskies that newcomers and enthusiasts alike appreciate.
Fresh, sweet, and a little floral. There’s seaweed, rich malt, dried fruit, camphor, caramel, chocolate orange, and apple poached in cinnamon.
Soft and supple with a nutty, sherried quality leading among vanilla, marmalade, sultanas, and a bright coastal element.
Mochaccino, dried herbs, Christmas cake spice, and a balanced salty tang.
For me the best 12yr aged malt on the market . The best £40 you can spend if that's your budget.
What a surprise! The deep, dark sherry notes reminded me of the Glendronach 18. The 18!!! So flavor, much value! It's been a while since I've been wow'ed by a dram, but this one did the trick. A must buy.
Fantastic complex whisky that compares with the very best. Distilled Christmas Pudding and Panatone in a glass. Excellent and very easy to drink.
Not your usual Islay style but an excellently rewarding and balanced malt that I enjoy every time I taste it.
Now I like smoky peaty whiskies as much as the next guy (as long as that guy likes smoky peaty whiskies), but Bunnahabhain 12 is a different beast. It's not peated and it's not smoky. But boy, is it complex and interesting. It seems a little expensive, but it's not. Dollar for dollar (or euro or yen), it's a bargain. You can't guzzle it on a Friday night (That's what Wild Turkey and Johnnie Walker are for), but you can pour a nice dram once or twice a week to soften the edges of a rough day. Non chill-filtered and uncolored. Buy it. Drink it. Enough said.
