Bunnahabhain Ceòbanach

Rewarding. That is my summary of this not so complex whisky that i have enjoyed. It is not something that will change your life but i just truly had a good time tasting it. This is my third Bunnahabhain and frankly the other two did not impressed me much (Shania Twain quote). Ceòbanach actually means "Smoky Mist" and it is properly pronounced 'kyaw-bin-och'. This is the heavily peated expression from this distillery, famous for been "not so peated". Bottled at 46.3%abv, natural pale straw color, un-chill filthered. On the nose, this is very interesting. Right away when you open the bottle, you will feel the peat and yellow apples. But those are fake aromas; when you pour yourself a dram, the notes change into this very creamy, peaty whisky. The most amazing and accurate aroma note is Rum Raisins ice cream. It is amazing how clean that aroma is here. Earthy peat is intense, sometimes too powerful as alcohol not as peaty. There is a marvelous tropical sweetness. Grapes and White wine. Beautifully perfumed.So far this is the best bunna' on the nose. So creamy. On the palate it is quite spicy. Definitively some raisin influence.Turns spicy fast. Rum raisins ice cream. Aftertaste has a lovely tobacco smoke. Very rewarding. Nice Pepper, Puffs of smoke, very pleasant. Ginger and salt. Overall this is a very good, straightforward dram. Not complex but somehow manages to be pleasant and "fun". I had to reason it a little while, because it was good enough to trick my scoring system into something higher, but a fair score for it is 88 over 100. For $70 a bottle, this one can be recommended.

Nose: Bright but subtle peat with a maritime quality - like peat-reek carried on a sea breeze. It's not highly phenolic or medicinal (although there is a little kelpy iodine) but neither is it the woody bonfire smoke of highland peat - it's somewhere in between the two with a light tarry quality and some minerality. There is a mild citrus sweetness in the background but the overall impression is dry, poised and restrained. Over time as it rests in the glass the sweet notes expand to present a mild honey aroma. Palate: A very sweet and lightly smoky arrival with a touch of saline and mild lemon. The smoky character amplifies as it develops and continues to build until it reaches a plateau and then begins to broaden. As it expands some mild vanilla and very soft white pepper is noticeable. It does not gain significant complexity, however, and over time the palate simply dissipates (but in a very pleasant manner). The texture is a little watery but far from anaemic. Finish: Medium. Simply a continuation of the palate as the smoky qualities slowly fade from view. There are no intrusive plastic or metallic notes on the very crisp and lightly sweet/salt finish. This is a simple but well-balanced whisky that it is very agreeable, with a fresh quality to both the nose and palate. It is extremely easy to drink and would be a great session whisky. It would also be an excellent first smoky whisky to pour for a novice as it shows many of the Islay facets but is highly approachable and "friendly". Adding water is neither necessary nor recommended. There is no heat from the 46.3% abv and water merely seems to flatten the nose and dull the palate. It also unbalances the profile by introducing a starchy-cardboard note. Take this one neat. You'd have to be awfully mean to dislike this merely because of its simple profile. It's a good whisky, but not a world-beater, and in my opinion a little over-priced. I tasted it from a 30ml sampler and although I enjoyed it I'm not enthusiastic enough to seek out a bottle. The official score here of 90 seems a tad generous. "Good" : 3.5 stars

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