Review 165: Bunnahabhain 1988-2013 Berry's

Bunnahabhain 1988-2013 Berry's

This 24 year old Bunnahabhain has a wonderfully sherried look too it. That combination generally means good things are in store. I hope so!

Color: Amber +2

ABV: 51.3%

Aroma Neat:
Hazelnuts, Marzipan, Cocoa (almost Nutella), Silky Vanilla, Saltwater Taffy, Jammy Fruit Preserves (strawberry, raspberry), Clean Malt Barley, Molten Caramel, Corn Flakes (with dark chocolate), Overripe Bananas, Old Gasoline/Oily Rags.

Starts heavy and nutty, but grows sweeter and fruitier (red fruits mostly) with time in the glass. It actually takes a few minutes for this to open in the glass.

Aroma Water:
Honeyed Oak, Creamy Vanilla, Cereal Grains, Corn (creamed), Peach Juice, Red Apple Juice/Skins, Salted Dutch Cocoa Powder (slightly), Gasoline-Soaked Rags, Grimy Oil, Hazelnuts, Green Oak (fresh, almost Mizunara), Cherry Blossoms.

The big sherry (I assume a sherry cask here) notes step back with water and let more of the spirit's own graininess and lighter fruitiness show through. Quite good now!

Taste Neat:
Tannic Oak, Oaky Red Wine (cali cabs), Cigar Tobacco, Earthy Sulfur (a mushroomy dash), Salty Brine, Barrel Char/Tobacco Ash, Overripe Strawberries, Nutella (mostly hazelnuts).

A heavy whisky, which is expected based on my experience with Bunnas. Oaky and syrupy, with dark jammy fruit balancing tobacco spice.

Taste Water:
Seasoned Oak, Peppery Tobacco, Peach-Infused Honey (orange blossom), Wood Smoke/Light Ash, Chewy Cooked Mushrooms (earthy, delicious!), Mineral, Dark English Breakfast Tea, White Tea.

Ah, here we go! Although the palate was heavily sherried and done well, that's not really my favorite style. With water we've got spice, fruity juice, smoke, and a lot of other notes playing together in greater harmony. Really nice. I probably wouldn't give this whisky a 90+ rating if I tasted it neat only, but now I think it's in that range.

Finish:
Salty Oak, Barrel Char, Iodine, Smoked Kippers (slightly), Hazelnuts, Marzipan (slightly), Black Tea.

The salty smokey Islay influence is most evident in the finish. I don't think this was intended to be a smoky/peaty Bunna (like this Duncan Taylor Bunna), but traces of those notes appear here. Like with the Laddie 10, it seems you can't every quite hide the peat when you're distilling on Islay!

Conclusion:
A "big" whisky all around.

Very sherried neat, with lots of jammy fruity and nuttiness. Good in its own right.

Excellently balanced and satisfying with water. Especially on the palate. I love a good nose in whisky, but if the palate doesn't satisfy then what's the point? This one certainly delivers!

Rating: 91/100

The cask played a big role in this whisky and we've got a lot red fruit influence and woodiness. Luckily Bunnahabhain has beefy new make (at least it seems so, I've never tasted it!) that can stand up to all the oak influence. With water, however, the wood retreats and lets the spirit shine a bit more. I like this whisky better with water, but I'm sure sherry fans will like this neat. It even has that delicious nuttiness some good sherried whiskies do. Interestingly, this single cask, cask strength, independently bottled Bunna seems in good keeping with the standard 12 year old distillery bottling. That's a good thing!

Josh