Bunnahabhain 12 Year

For my first review in some time, I figured I'd try something a little different. This is my first (nearly) unpeated Islay. I've had some great experiences with peated Highland/Speyside Scotches, now it's time to flip the script. Nose: Sherry notes jump out of the glass. I get both white and red grape, raisin, date, cranberry, and fig. I'm also getting orange and caramel. Big toffee note and a bit of baking spice. Honey, graham cracke, sandlewood. A healthy dose of oak at the end. The profile falls in line with a sherry/bourbon cask aged highland malt. Palate: Orange peel and those red sherry notes of cranberry, fig, date, and raisin. More grape and now there's some pear. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Much spicier than the nose suggested; black pepper and clove. Oak note coming presented as bitter chocolate. Similar notes to the nose, although the spice is now equal to the sweetness and bitterness. If you told me there was no peat at all, I'd believe you. Finish: Best part of the whisky. A slice of rich chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. The red fruit/orange/grape notes remain present before it transitions to black pepper and cinnamon to the conclusion of a moderate length finish. Great stuff here. I know full well that there is a bit of peat here, but I will admit that I don't even pick up a trace. Perhaps my palate isn't up for the task, but I'm detecting nothing remotely characteristic of the Islay region. And yet, that's not a bad thing. Bunna 12 does quite well for what it is. Respectable age statement, quality barrels, appropriately proofed. And on sale for $50 (down from $55) it's a damn good value. Approachable enough for the novice, complex enough to satisfy a seasoned drinker. What's not to like here? It's a rich, well-balanced malt that demonstrates that the Islay region is capable of producing much more than the peat bombs I've come to expect. Highly recommended. Well done, Bunna.

Continuing with high quality Islay single malts this is unpeated( well a small amount 5ppm or so) and sherry finished. Most are peat and smoke dominant so this was a must try. Its un chill-filtered with natural color which is a plus imo. Poured neat, rich dark color with sticky legs. Noses deep dark fruits, sugared figs and dates, very meaty. Slight earthy malt note. I find the sherry finish very prominent. Oily thick mouthfeel leads palate of pure malt with sherry fruit notes. Has just a touch of smoke and sweet wood. Comes across silky, soft and subtle but is complex and intriguing. You want that next sip to continue exploring. Flavor is just dripping off your taste buds. The finish on this is fabulous, very long with sweet oak and malt and a smoky coffee note( I think small amounts of peat cause this). Alcohol burn is non existent as this is buttery smooth. Doesn't have the powerhouse flavor delivery of a Bruichladdich but has a lot going on with so much flavor and great depth. Sort of a "speak softly and carry a big stick" situation. It wont smack you in the face but will creep up on you until you realize that wow this stuff is amazing! I would lean toward Classic Laddie however this is an easy purchase and certain keeper. I paid $50 on sale and feel I got great value!........93/100........If you appreciate scotch you should try this......elegant and sophisticated

vanilla. smooth but little bit spicy aftertaste. orange. lemon. 46.3%

This was excellent. Vanilla smell, Peaty. Very smooth.