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.
It's OK but, given what I'd heard about this whisky it has come up well short. A few points to consider: - A lot of people are talking it up as a great Islay expression - there is zero smokiness to it, in either palate or nose, that I can detect. - The 46.2% ABV does not blend well. What I mean by this is it tastes boozy and quite harsh, akin to cheaper whiskies. It actually reminds me of blended scotch. - Nothing, palate, nose, or finish, really stands out. It's all very underwhelming. - MOM's tasting notes reveal a lot. They're very vague because this whisky is not well defined and the character is not pronounced it particularly memorable. I would honestly avoid this whisky. There is enough good stuff at this price range, this whisky is outshone by plenty of better ones and is comparable to a lot of reasonable blends. Definitely a miss.
This used to be fabulous whisky for the money, complex yet eminently drinkable, but the latest version tastes like a pale imitation of the rich silken tastefest I’d gotten used to. I picked up a bottle springtime 2019 and it’s very ordinary compared to the last bottle I had. It’s by no means a bad whisky, but it’s no longer anything to gush about...it tastes like a £30 whisky, with some harsher notes that you might expect with a young whisky. What was once a multi-faceted yet smooth dram has become somewhat one-dimensional and ordinary, verging on boring! I hope I just picked up a lame bottle as this was once my go-to unpeated everyday malt.
Went into this one expecting a smokey peaty whisky, but was taken on a different journey not expected for an Isley. I was reward with fruit notes with a hint of smoke and an unexpected new favorite whisky.
I love this Bunnahabhain 12 years, a perfect dram on the palate and on the nose, an islay as bunnahabhain can give. Very very very good.
Nothing of Islay - and certainly NOTHING of a 12 year old. PreAdolescent mebbe. Not happy - but price in the afterthought not troubling.
