I poured myself two samples of Bunnahabhain special releases about 15 minutes ago and the whole room smells of it. If smell would be visible I imagine it releasing from the Glencairns like the vapor when you pour water over dry ice. Well, the cask strength helps for sure but it has been a while I had a fragrant whisky like this in my glass. The nose is wonderful cherries, honeydew melon, raspberry-sauce, stirred forest berries, super dark oak wood, milky coffee, then fresh spices, crispy caramel. A extremely lovely nose that is both charming and powerfully rich. A red wine character is definitely and properly present. But not exclusively- there is more - a lot more. The palate does fulfill the expectation of the nose. Quite dry at first with sour peaches, vanilla spice, fresh red chilis, then soft grape vinegar which slowly transition into a malty sweetness with nice roasted ground coffee notes as well. The finish is eyebrow-raising. Nice and super interesting. There is a somewhat unfamiliar note here. A bid like buttery cheesy crackers or puff pastry with oily parmesan. This becomes noticeable in the nose as well now. Really interesting and enjoyable. Then oak and the red wine in a lightly acidic spectrum at the peak. The nose after the fist sip becomes even better. Richer and more wide. The heat on the palate increases as well, which a bid of water levels out. Water does take out sweetness and leaves more ground for the dryness - but that doesn’t diminish the character of the whisky. In the end it comes around like an slightly unpolished diamond really. I like this untamed wildness embedded in sophisticated brackets. What a great whisky this is. Was. Sadly. But this assures me that I can safely invest in one of the Feis Ile bottles when one would come around for purchase.