Bunnahabhain 14 Year Old 2002 The Single Cask (51.6%, Claxton’s, HH #1607-3185, 305 Bottles, 2016)
Whisky Review
- Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky
- Origin: Bunnahabhain Distillery
- Bottling: Claxton’s
- ABV: 51.6%
- Cost: £80.82
What they say:
This single cask bottling has distinctive nutty flavours synonymous with the Bunnahabhain distillery style. However, 14 years of maturation in an American oak hogshead has also created a very lively character with prominent vanilla elements
NOSE
Warm bananas and peaches, buttery biscuits developing into marzipan. A hint burnt sticks.
PALATE
Nutty! Brazil nuts, almonds, and soft walnuts. Coconut and vanilla fudge. Soft and oily body.
FINISH
Lingering and warm. More nuttiness, almonds, coconut with a marshmallow sweetness.
What I say:
Many thanks to Adrian at Claxton’s for kindly providing this sample for review. A 14 year old single cask/cask strength Bunnahabhain matured in an American Oak Hogshead. Natural colour/non-chill filtered
Colour:
Light champagne gold (3/20), quick medium-sized oily tears leave finer legs
Nose:
Sweet and dusty with sharp and citric fruit aromas, chalky and mineralic or coastal with sharp sea salt, sparkling white wine/white grape, melon, cereal gristy/biscuit, oaty flapjack, honey, banana fritters, toffee, syrup, pears, almonds, pear & amandine tart.
Taste:
Medium bodied, leads with malty & gristy cereal barley, a sharpness of citrus fruits combine with a gentle prickle of white pepper spice, kiwi fruit, melon, white grape, oaty biscuit/flapjack, green oak wood, love heart sweeties; chalky/sherbet/fruit fizzy and citric and slightly sour in places, nutty with toasted flaked almonds.
Finish:
Medium, sweet & sour nature persists
Overall:
A deliciously coastal Bunnahabhain, ripe with pear and almonds but also quite mealy with plenty of grsity barley too combined with a nice citric zest make this very pleasing indeed.
Score: 85/100
Share this:
Categories: Bunnahabhain, Islay
The Whiskyphiles 