Bunnahabhain 9 Year Old 2008 Mòine Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Matured (58.1%, OB, 4536 Bottles, 2018)

• Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Bunnahabhain distillery
• Bottling: Distell, OB
• ABV: 58.1%
• Cost: £68.95

What they say

Bunnahabhain Distillery sits on one of the most remote corners of the island, nestled into the bay right on the Sound of Islay. Despite our remote location, we never stop searching the world for the perfect casks to complement our Single Malt Limited Editions, and for this 2008 Mòine Bordeaux Red Wine edition, we have found something truly special.

Although the original non-peated Islay malt, Bunnahabhain has become well known for its Mòine, (meaning ‘peated’ in Scots Gaelic) variants in recent years. For the first time in the distillery’s history, our peated spirit has been fully matured in premium red wine casks from Bordeaux in France. These casks have been maturing, protected from the elements in our coastal warehouses, for just under ten years, before being bottled in early 2018.

The result is a unique and stunning array of rich grape, toffee and peppery smoke notes, with a long and warming fruity finish. Sit back and savour.

Distilled 18/02/08, bottled 26/02/18 matured in Warehouse No.8.

Official tasting notes

• COLOUR Deep Red Gold
• NOSE Rich fruit & grape, hints of nut & rich oak, toffee & espresso balanced with pepper & smoke.
• PALATE Almost layered with rich grape & red wine influence, hints of toffee, chocolate & tobacco, developing into a warming peppery smoke
• FINISH Long & lingering combination of fruit & smoke.

What I say

Thanks to Distell for providing samples of their 2018 Limited Edition releases

The first of the Bunnahabhain expressions featured in the 2018 Limited Edition releases is this 2008 vintage, 9 year old Mòine expression.

Distilled from peated barley and matured in ex-Bordeaux red wine casks.

My tasting notes

• Appearance: Ruby amber (14/20), oily medium-fine tears, fine legs.
• Nose: Peated and sweat, with a dry and fruity sweetness that is quite balanced, red fruits, grape, cherry and raspberry, tannic oak wood, coffee, toffee and dark chocolate,
• Taste: Full-bodied, thick and oily. Tart dried fruits, raisin, medicated cherry lozenges, tart and earthy elderberries, the peat smoke drifts in an out of liqourice root, dark chocolate, red berries, tobacco leaf with a sweet, bitter, sweet, oak wood, dried fruits and earthy peat smoke prevail.
• Finish: Long, earthy and woody smoke, red grape and red berry fruits, some tart, some dried.

Overall

A powerful, full-bodied, peated and earthen Bunnahabhain, sweetened by the use of the wine casks but also enhanced with dried fruit and tannins complementing the darker coffee and chocolate notes too. Reminded me of tart and earthy elderberries.

Score 90/100

Don’t take my word for it:

Bloggers submit link to your review