This single malt from Bunnahabhain spent 19 years maturing in a single first-fill sherry butt. A release of 109 bottles.
Appearance: Tizer orange with an auburn hue. A lovely thick swirl line quickly forms with many teardrops. Numerous medium/thick legs slowly seep down the inside of the glass.
Nose: A nice heady ABV wave greets the senses. Lots of dark fruits and blackberries.
Christmas sources, chocolate, grape, blueberry (a new one on me) and vanilla essence.
As the dram matures there is confectionary sweetness in the form of fruit salad sweets.
Palate: Smokey and drying are the first sensations to register. These are followed by a buttery note and a fruit ripple penetrating with a slight sharpness.
The smoke morphs into BBQ meats smothered in a sweet BBQ sauce.
A coastal element appears towards the finish, a nice salinity which balances the sweetness nicely.
Finish: Medium to long. Sweet and salty, with a touch of black pepper. That fruit ripple only increases during the finish. Sending with a really fruity, jammy crescendo.
Overall: I really like this one. It’s deep and rich, with plenty of fruits. Lots going on.
