Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whisky from the Islay whisky region in Scotland.
Despite the small size of the island and the limited amount of distilleries, the Hebridean island of Islay is considered as one of the most distinct regions. Because of this, Islay has become a centre of “whisky tourism”. The whiskies from Islay are known for their powerful smoky, peaty character.
Currently there are nine Islay distilleries. They incude Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Port Charlotte. The famous Port Ellen distillery closed its doors in 1983. Bruichladdich is the only distillery on the island that merely produces unpeated single malt whisky.
Another Ardbeg Day release, the Ardbeg Cark Cove Islay single malt Scotch whisky. I always look forward to last weekend in May. It is when the world celebrates Ardbeg Day. Ardbeg day started in 2012, and this annual event has been filled with fun and whisky every year since.
Now and again, I manage to get my hands on a single cask bottling release. Be it via WhiskyBrother and one of their special single cask bottlings or when friends travel. The Whisky Brother releases are legendary, and I am waiting with bated breath for what is coming out from them this year.
This is a dram I have tried a few times with food, but never written about. The definition of Enigma is a thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand. Will this Bowmore 12 year old Enigma single malt Scotch whisky show its secrets?
Today I chat about something soft from Islay, the Bunnahabhain 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky. The sea is my happy place. I sleep like a rock when I hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. I love to walk for miles and miles on the beach, looking for shells and dreaming away.
We all have such a place.A place where the cares of the day, the stress of work, the burdens that we carry, disappear. A place that makes us happy. For some people, it is the mountains. John and our friend Walter find peace when they go climbing.
For some people, it is a river, or a farm or a particular city. For me, it is a small town just outside of Durban on the Kwa-Zulu Natal South Coast.
I have gone there since I was ten years old. Tomorrow we drive down to the coast for a couple of days rest with some family. And what better whisky to take with, then one of my favourite whiskies of all time, the Bunnahabhain 18 year old whisky.
Also Read: Ballechin 10 yo Whisky
For more than 130 years, Bunnahabhain has been creating memories and have a special place in Scotland’s whisky history. Derived from the Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’, Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881. In 2003, Edrington sold Bunnahabhain to Burn Stewart Distilleries for £10 million. Currently, Distell owns Burn Stewart.
Bunnahabhain is the Northern-most Islay distillery. It sits in a large bay to the North East of the Isle, drawing its water from the Margadale Spring.
The malt supplied to Bunnahabhain is required to be at levels of 3 p.p.m. The Bunnahabhain 18 year old is a single malt matured in a combination of used sherry and bourbon casks before it is bottled without the use of chill filtration.
REGION: Islay
ABV: 46.3%
COLOUR: Dark golden amber colour with hints of red.
NOSE: The first thing that strikes me about the nose is that it’s rich and complex. The 18 yo whisky has notes of malva pudding, fruitcake sweetness, candied fruits and caramel sweetness floating about. Hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Faint wisps of cloves. The addition of water changes the nose quite a bit. It seems to take away some of the complexity but oddly enough brings through more of the oak and spice.
PALATE: When you try this Bunnahabhain 18 year old for the first time, all you can say is “good grief, this is wonderful”. It’s a creamy, chewy whisky, complex with a layer of nutty sweetness floating around. Behind all the nutty sweetness is a salty feel. It’s that same salty air you taste when walking on a windy day on a rocky shore by a rough sea.
After the sweetness, there are some dried citrus peel and marmalade. The addition of water adds even more smoothness and gives it a luscious feel. You can even imagine the faintest hint of smoke and peat after adding a bit of water.
FINISH: Long and lingering and warms the heart. It ends in notes spicy oak and a bit of leather.
RATING: DIVINE
I finished the first glass of the Bunnahabhain 18 year old single malt without water. It was so good. To see the impact of water, I had to have a second glass. This Bunnahabhain is seriously impressive stuff. I love it. An all time favourite!
Also Read: Macallan 15 vs Glenfiddich 15 yo whisky
The annual event of Ardbeg Day is a great day out, with much fanfare and whisky drinking. When possible, we visit Dullstroom for this event. During our 2014 visit, John managed to taste the Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay single malt Scotch whisky, but I have not had a formal “Whisky of the Week” tasting for this release.
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