Slainte-Mhath
Bunnahabhain 18 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
February 22, 2017 (edited March 6, 2024)
Westering home and a song in the air... What a craft presentation of an unpeated Islay single malt with a lovely natural color in the glass! The nose is elegant and amazingly complex with old leather, gentle spices and Mon Chéri confectionery. Notes of walnuts, orange peel and raisins disguise distant hints of brine. Intensely aromatic and yet well-balanced on the palate, you get distinct wood spices, stewed tea and dried fruits with honey, leading into the lasting, warming and peppery bitter finish. Bunnahabhain 18 is a high-class all-rounder, even without peat!
RATING: 4.4/5.0 stars ≙ 90 pts → SUPERB [-]
120.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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Edit: The thorough reader might wonder 'Why not a higher score?', as there is no obvious criticism. Well, when writing about 'distinct oakiness', I could have added 'almost unpleasantly'. Yes, the cask influence is quite dominant in this malt - a bit too dominant for my own palate. I like aromatic wood spices, tannins and all the rest of it, if they stay in the background. This is beyond doubt a superb Islay malt, but be aware that the 18 years of cask maturation really show. Slàinte!