What they say

Our first release for Fèis Ìle 2021 is a delicious 8 year old smoky whisky.  Finished in Bordeaux casks, this limited edition has notes of rich spice, dark grapes and hints of cocoa and warming chilli to create a truly special dram.

Since 1881, we’ve been making exceptional single malts at Bunnahabhain, during which time we’ve welcomed plenty of visitors to share the fruits of our dedication to traditional craft. That same spirit of friendship has now inspired us to create this exclusive malt for the 2021 Fèis Ìle.

Carefully matured inside our peaceful coastal distillery, its golden depths swirl with gentle notes of oily peat, rich spices and dark grapes, intertwined with just the faintest hints of cocoa and warming chilli.  As well as lingering on the tongue, its delicately balanced flavour lives long in the memory – just like Islay’s famous festival.

TASTING NOTES

COLOUR

Burnt Amber

NOSE

Light toasted oak, red fruits leading to a sweet, dark fruit jam and a hint of dry smoke

PALATE

Peat smoke, oak spice, dark grapes, cocoa and red chili, with a delicately balanced sweetness and acidity.

FINISH

Long and sweet, with hints of red wine and over-ripened grapes.

What I say

Celebrating Bunnahabhain day on 4th June for Feis Ile 2021. The second of two Feis Ile edition bottlings. Using the peated Moine distillate from 2013 and finishing it using a Bordeaux Red Wine cask.

• ABV 59.5%
• Age 8 Years Old
• Bottler Official
• Bottling Feis Ile 2021
• Cask Bordeaux Wine Finish
• Category Single Malt Whisky
• Cost £85
• Origin Bunnahabhain Distillery
• Outturn 5166 bottles
• Region Islay
• Released 2021
• Vintage 2013

My tasting notes:

• Appearance Sercial Madeira (8/20), medium-fine droplet tears and fine legs.
• Nose Smokey, dry, ashen smoke but also sweet and fruity, touch acridity to the smoke, maple-smoked bacon, figs, roasted chestnuts, bbq-smoked meat, medicinal dry smoke, stewed black and red fruits, like jam-making, dry and honey-roasted peanuts and a touch of that red wine biro ink.
• Taste Full-bodied, fruity, cherry, redcurrant, blackcurrant, red and black fruits lead, black cherry, prune, again quite stewed and jammy, some earthy and turfy eucalyptus notes, malt extract, molasses, salted liqourice root, toffee, book leather, dry-roasted peanuts coated in five-spice powder.
• Finish long, dry, rich smoke, black fruits and some tannins persist with heather honey sweetness.
• Overall Deliciously decadent, a smoke and red wine marriage, borders at times on a little inkiness which could be enhanced by the youth of the spirit here which brings so much power to that smoke. Later it is sweet dry and nutty and still delicious.

Score 89/100

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