Bunnahabhain Ceòbanach

And this year's award for Hardest Name to Pronouce goes to this thing, however you say it ( I call it Bunna Habain Coo Bunch). Don't let the name throw you, this is a really good Dram. Thanks to Telex, as part of our little trading team, I got to sample this. Lemon curd on the nose. Unlike other Bunnas, there's no brine or salinity? Or very little, but certainly not like your typical Bunna. On the palette, crisp and clean, lemon cheesecake with a slight campfire smoke. Reminded me a lot of some of the better young Caol Ila. Quite good. Thanks Jason!

So, I’m finally finished plowing through our third round of distillery samples in the tour group. This Bunnahabhain was provided by our newest member, Telex. I didn’t have too many expectations here because this NAS is on the cheaper side, but boy-oh-boy was I mistaken. This one was quite possibly one of the most refreshing whisky experiences I’ve had in awhile. The Ceobanach, don’t ask me how to pronounce it, is a pale yellow in the tasting glass and comes in at a slightly elevated 46.3% ABV. My experience with Bunna is quite limited- I’ve only had the 12 year to this point, but that was a nice dram and this one is a winner as well. The nose is a wonderful blast of seafaring notes: seaweed, salt, brine with a nice citrusy overlay. It smells like what I imagine an old sailing vessel would smell like. The peat adds an extra dimension and some smoke comes and goes like the waves of the ocean. While I wouldn’t dare say it’s inviting, it’s just a sensory thing to me. Very interesting and, I gotta say, cool. The palate falls in line with the nose. Salt, seaweed and peat smoke that winds its way towards pepper and oak barrel notes. It’s drying towards the end, but that feels appropriate and welcome IMO. The finish is medium length, smoky and sun-dried peat wrestle again with the lemony citrus zing. Salty and dry leaving your lips feeling like the first night you got sunburn on your face. What can I say, this is more of an “experience” in a glass, than a thirst quenching dram. It hits the spot if you know what to expect going in (and if that’s what you’re feeling at the time). If you take your time with the nosing it will lead you down the path that this whisky wants you to take and for that I give it a bump in score. Flavor profile, mouthfeel, etc- this is a 3-3.5 star juice, but if you follow the path it’s asking it’s a 4-4.25 star experience. I really liked that. Thanks again to Jason for sending this one my way. Bon voyage, my friends.

Stop number 47 on the SDT is Bunnahabhain. This Islay distillery is best known for producing unpeated single malts, but Ceobanach is their first peated malt since the 60’s. Officially it’s a NAS expression, but the back label states that it is at least 10 years old. Bottled at 46.3% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color of pale straw. The nose is all Islay. Smoky peat and big citrus notes. Lemons and oranges. Vanilla buttercream and plums with a hint of white grapes. Salty seashore/seashells and seaweed. Soot and ashes, oak, pepper and a little sawdust. A bit nutty like peanuts or roasted almonds. Floral with some light chocolate notes. The palate, like the nose, is all Islay. Peat smoke, big pepper, worn oak and ashes. Some salt, sweet oranges/orange juice and lemons. Vanilla cream. Not super complex but powerful. Medium-full bodied mouthfeel that starts creamy but turns dry. A medium long finish with smoky peat, ashes and citrus. A good Islay malt with typical Islay goodness. It’s downside is that it is very similar to both Ardbeg 10 and Kilchoman Machir Bay. It rests somewhere in the middle as far as peat level goes but the profile is right there. Unfortunately the price point of $85 puts it in the not quite worth it category. Now, give this guy 12 months in an Oloroso sherry butt and you might have something special. Thanks to @Telex for the sample. 3.75 Cheers

It's that time of year where the leaves turned, the air is crisp and a smokey dram fits the mood. I was anxious to sample this and thanks to @Telex, through our tasting group, I was provided that opportunity. Bunnahabhain is often overlooked when seeking out an Islay, but they do create some well-crafted spirits, in my opinion. A light, sweet peat and smoke waste no time greeting you on the nose. The sweet smoke is infused with a winter maritime brininess. As the smokiness starts to soften, fruit notes of apples, pears and toasted coconut with honey create a inviting sweetness. A black pepper spicy arrival is wrapped in a medium-weight body. Honey, honeydew melon with a touch of vanilla are exposed to the palate. The smoke is constant throughout, but it does not overwhelm and supports the fruity, sweet side. The finish starts off with a bit of tingle on the tongue. Cigar ash and soot and woodiness with a skosh of honeyed sweetness remain on the palate. As the list bit of flavor fades, some lemon zest comes through. A nice, long lasting finish. The whisky, for me, conjures an image of a New England seaside winter with chimney smoke in the crisp air (whisky has a way to create images and transport me to that place...sorry for the sappiness). This feels slightly young (8 year-ish sensation) given the spicy kick. This compares to that of Machir Bay, for reference purposes. One that is worthy to pull out on that crisp evening and slow down time. [Dry Glass: Damp chimney][88/100][Tasted: 11/4/17]

Thanks to Telex for this sample! Well, this may be the winner for hardest to pronounce name in the scotch world. A cursory Google search yields the meaning of the name: "smoky mist," a fitting appellation for one of this distillery's few peated expressions (an unusual distinction among Islay's whisky makers). Based on this sample, Bunnahabhain's choice to go unpeated for their main line really is a choice, not a lack of ability. Wow, this scotch is a dead ringer for Ardbeg 10 on the nose: smoke, clay, and lemon cakes. There's something in here that's similar to Caol Ila 12 as well, although with the sweetness dialed down. On the palate, a strong bite of smoke, followed by that salty, briny, spicy combination that calls to mind grilled shrimp drizzled with lemon. The finish is comparatively mild, medium in length, and again features a pleasant mixture of smoke, herbal peat, chives or some other grassy note, and citrus. It's Ardbeg 10 by any other name. Or is it Ardbeg's own doppelganger, Kilchoman Machir Bay? Close call, close enough not to matter much. It's more expensive, at $70-80, so I don't see a clear reason to prefer it over its brothers from another mother (twin-bill from another still?).

smoky and peaty. sweet finish. needs a little something else to make it 5*. would try again