Bunnahabhain 11 Year Discovery (Gordon & MacPhail)

In a bar at Port Charlotte, Islay, i found this Bunnahabhain 11yo Discovery, bottled by Gordon & Macphail. On the nose, it is perfect. Coffee, red Fruits, thick honey, chocolate, hazelnut. Orange chocolate; Buttery chocolate. Butterfinger and raisinets. On the palate, it is very good. Almonds, nutmeg, chocolates, cinnamon. After a first sip i got milk chocolate. Very lactic. Aftertaste is about three very well crafted notes: Almonds, winey, Cabernet Sauvignon. Overall, this was a complete surprise. It was absolutely delicious. Full of flavor, mantaining the Bunnahabhain chocolate spirit. My score for it 94 over 100.

Neat. Sample. The nose is crisp and inviting. Honey covered apple, sweet tobacco, maple covered dates, powdered sugar on an elephant ear. Some fun layers here. Mouthfeel is buttery. Light apple juice initially in the tongue, darkens up a bit mid palate with caramel, hint of oak, and a sour dough bread. The finish doesn’t have much of a transition but getting a nice vanilla on top of everything. Fun sample, does everything well but nothing great.

Zomerwhisky. Smaakvol. Niet scherp fruit

(Pinkernells Islay Tasting Event) The nose is pure and delicate with oranges, cinnamon, plain cookies, sweet lemon, molasses and raisins. On the palate it is fruity, citrusy and malty sweet. Is isn’t as red-fruity as the standard distillery bottlings. It actually has some Campeltown grain hints to it which is unusual for Bunnahabhain. The finish is more dry than anything else. The after taste is nice with some bitter almonds. All in all a nice balance between sweet and fruity bitter. A great endeavor into budget independent whisky.

I’m a huge fan of a Bunnahabhain and this bottling from G&M is a real stand-out expression. First off, this is a velvety smooth and creamy dram. You get a waft of caramel, then a lovely gentle clove and cinnamon note. This then develops into a surprisingly soft hit of fruit (plum and dried fruits). It mellows into a finish of citrus and dark chocolate, leaving a long tangy and spicy aftertaste. You can absolutely taste the influence of the sherry cask maturation. If it wasn’t for the initial caramel and the softness, I’d be hard pushed to guess that this was a Bunnahabhain. It has a very Speyside note for an Islay malt. At this price point, this is a bargain. An absolutely delicious dram.

Briney smooth light smooth finish