Funnily enough, I was wondering why on God’s green earth people would water down single cask bottlings like this. It turns out, that the 46% is right on the money for this cask strength baby! How’s that for a coincidence?

Anyway, another single cask by Master of Malt. I’m trying to do a series that started a few days ago with the Tobermory on the 24th. There’s still quite a ways to go since I had 14 samples from their single casks and That Boutique-y Whisky Company.

Not much to say about Bunnahabhain. One of the less famous Islay whiskies. Famous for old unpeated sherry monsters, nowadays making as much peated whisky as they do unpeated. I’m not always a fan of their releases but their new 12 year old is good.

Sniff:

Bunnahabhain 23 at Master of Malt

Light and grassy with earthy undertones. Like a Lowlander with dirt. There is something spirity in here too, in a good way, quite gin-like. Quite some dusty barley too, which really makes me feel like this is a spirit driven dram. Good. The wood influence is something you have to wait for, with tones of oak, vanilla. Grass, straw, ginger and malt.

Sip:
Sweet and a little bit of bitter oakiness. It’s a bit rough at some point with quite some flavours you have to search for instead of them being obvious. Wood, vanilla, flowers, straw, gin, spirit, pepper. After a while the more default flavours of wood and vanille get a bit stronger.

Swallow:
The finish is friendly and gentle with a barley spirit base. Not too long and slightly sweet.

This is one hell of a Bunnahabhain. I can’t say I have tasted anything like this and I think this is a bit of a guess to buy blind. It isn’t truly typical for Bunnahabhain, but it is very delicious. What I like about it most is that it is 23 years old, but still rather spirit driven. The wood was probably laze but that is something that works exceptionally well here.

Another one for the wish list…

Bunnahabhain 23, Master of Malt, 46%, available at their webshop for £ 74.95 and a sample will set you back £ 5.51

Official sample provided by Master of Malt.